Amnesia
by PiercetheNightVale
Summary: Enrique suddenly returns from Spain after Dok Mi has a fall leaving her with no memory of their relationship? Can he make her remember him again, or will he be left without his world?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Go Dok Mi hummed to herself softly as she rubbed the shampoo into her scalp. The tune was familiar to her even though she hadn't heard it in a few weeks. It would be engrained in her memory forever. It was the song that Enrique had sung to her the night they had first professed their love for each other.

Of course, they had said it many times before that. With every "please be safe", "call me when you get home", "don't leave me", they said it to each other. But that had been the first time they'd said the actual words. At least, it had been the first time she had.

Enrique had never been shy about sharing his feelings. He had practically said it the night they had first kissed. It had been a horrible night that had created something beautiful. Dok Mi's humming turned to singing subconsciously. And the singing got louder until it could be heard through the bathroom door. But no one was there to hear her.

Enrique was back in Spain. After only being home a few weeks, he had had to return for some business. But he had promised her that he wouldn't be gone nearly as long as last time. A year and 3 months had seemed like an eternity to her, but it was the not knowing that killed her.

Every time they talked, she asked when he'd be home and every time he said, "I don't know". It killed her that she didn't know how long she'd have to be away from him. This time, though, he's sworn it wouldn't be more than a couple of days.

"There's a glitch in the game production," he'd said, "No one can sort it but me. I have to go." Dok Mi had been an expert at hiding her emotions, but Enrique could always see through her. He clearly saw the hurt and disappointment that was on her face. He hugged her then, pulling her close and drowning her in his arms, "I promise, Ahjumma, it will be no more than a week. I'll be home before you even have a chance to miss me."

But he was wrong. She missed him always. Even when she could see him waving at her from across the alley, she missed his hand holding hers and his scent engulfing her. She missed him the second he went through the door.

He was wrong about how long he'd be gone, too. It had been almost two weeks and he had no idea when he'd be back. She tried to be supportive. He had postponed his dreams so many times just to stay with her. It was her turn to sacrifice something. But more often than not, his company seemed too great a loss.

Every time they spoke, she had to resist the urge to beg him to return. He was the first voice she heard in the morning and the last she heard at night, but it wasn't enough to get her through the long days.

Even though she had become a completely new person after falling in love with Enrique, being out in public still exhausted her at best and sent her home with panic attacks at worst. But she couldn't tell Enrique that it had gotten worse since he'd left. He'd surely come rushing home to make her feel better. It was selfish that Dok Mi wanted that, but she was being selfless by not telling hm.

He'd surely be angry with her if he ever found out, but she had made sure he never would. She tried extra hard to sound happy on the phone and she had given him no reason to worry. At least, she didn't think she had. Enrique was always good at telling when she was lying to him.

_I confessed my love for someone else in front of him, _she thought as the shampoo ran down her body and down the drain, _and he still knew it was all a lie._ And suddenly, she knew that he knew. But she had to make sure he stayed in Spain. As much trouble as she was having now, she would have it worse if he came home for her.

It was always a caveat of their relationship for Dok Mi, "You are not allowed to push aside your dreams for me," she said many times.

"But you are my only dream," he'd always reply, "I love games and I love my fans, but I love you more Go Dok Mi. Anything is worth giving up for you."

Then they'd smile and kiss, but Dok Mi would grow a little sadder inside. It was another way that Enrique said that he loved her. Dok Mi had never been good with dealing with affection and she worried that Enrique handed it out so freely that he would run out of it eventually. It was her greatest fear that he would leave her just as she was comfortable with everything. So she tried not to get comfortable.

Comfort leads to heartbreak, she had discovered. All her friends knew the story, but none truly understood. Jin Rak came the closest, and Enrique tried his best, but no one truly knew the pain she had endured every day for years. She still endured it, but it had dulled significantly since Enrque came into her life.

No, she couldn't let herself become truly happy because she would be destroyed if she lost it. _If Enrique was here, he'd call you an idiot,_ she thought. And perhaps she was. But it was better for her to be stupid than get hurt again. Enrique loved her right now, but Dok Mi knew all too well that people's feelings changed.

The water that had been so warm and comforting a moment before suddenly felt cold to Dok Mi. she quickly rinsed the remaining shampoo out of her hair and turned off the water. She had left her window open to let the steam out of her bathroom and the cold February air left goose bumps along her skin. She wished she could get back in the shower, but it would be a waste of water. She had two warm coats and left over ramen water she could heat up. She would survive.

But her clothes were in the living room. She would have to walk through the freezing apartment in just her towel. She opened the door slowly and tried to run as fast as she could to her clothes, but something caught her eye as she past her desk. She had accidentally left her window open when she had stopped working, but that wasn't what troubled her. She often left it open since no one else but Enrique ever did. But… there was a person in the window across the street. A person with orange hair. It couldn't be Enrique; he knew she didn't like surprises. But… he had done it before. Last time he had left for Spain, he returned without even a phone call.

She walked slowly towards the window, careful not to slip on the now slippery tile. The closer she got, the more and more it looked like him. She shook her head and walked the final inches to the wall. He pointed at his eyes then back at her. That was something only Enrique would do. He was home. The disbelief washed out of her and was replaced with pure bliss. He had come home to her again. She smiled and waved at him shyly and was rewarded with a big, cheesy grin that made her heart melt. She reached over to grab her phone, but before she could, he held up the board that he had used to communicate with her many times before _dream of me, _it had said that first night.

Now, it only said _get dressed and come outside. _Get… dressed? _Oh god, oh god_ she thought, _I've been in my towel this whole time. _She turned away quickly to hide the red that was blossoming on her cheeks, _how could I be so careless? _She thought. He probably thought nothing of it, but Dok Mi had never been more mortified. The love of her life had seen her in nothing but a small, ratty, old towel. She covered her mouth with her hand and let out one quiet sob before pushing the rest of her tears back.

She quickly shut the blinds and got dressed hurriedly. She wasn't trying to make herself look nice, just presentable enough that she could go out in public. Gah, why hadn't she waited until she was completely dry to get dressed? It was so irritating trying to get fabric over wet skin. Soon, she was jumping around just trying to get a pair of pants on. When she was finally dressed, she looked back out the window. She expected that Enrique would be gone, already on his way over here, but when she looked over he was still there staring at her.

He held up his board again, _I'll meet you downstairs, _it read. Dok Mi nodded and shut the blinds calmly, so as not to look too excited. But she was ready to jump for joy. Enrique had come back to her. She was stupid to worry that he'd be gone for another year. He promised he'd be home in a few days and she had learned that he kept his promises.

She suddenly couldn't contain her joy any more. She threw on a pair of tennis shoes and ran out the door. The elevator was too slow; she skipped it and instead sprinted to the stairs. She saw Jin Rak peeking through his door at her. No doubt he'd heard all the commotion and was worried.

"Enrique's back" she said quickly as she ran past him, her steps became sloppy as she ran downstairs. She lived on the fourth floor of the apartment, and she was completely winded by the time she made it down the second flight of stairs. But she wanted to get to him as soon as possible. She took a deep breath and continued running. Her turns became sharper and less thought out. She could almost feel his arms around her. The thought took her mind off running for a split second, but that was enough time for her to get distracted. She let out a single scream before she fell.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Enrique stood outside in the cold waiting for Dok Mi. he glanced at his watch. It had been nearly ten minutes since he'd told her to come downstairs. It wasn't like her to keep him waiting, but maybe she was still getting ready. When he'd seen her, she had just gotten out of the shower. It wasn't entirely implausible for her to be taking a little longer. But still…

Enrique silently cursed himself. He really should have given her some more warning. Coming back unexpectedly once was sweet, but he wouldn't be surprised if she was annoyed this time. Dok Mi was still very introverted and needed time to prepare herself for going out. That constantly contrasted with his spontaneous nature. Enrique normally took that into careful consideration, but he had wanted to see her the second he returned to Korea and everything had been too hectic to call her.

He had just woken up that morning and decided that he could not stay in Spain a day longer. He had been taking his time fixing the game so he wouldn't have to come back anytime soon, but he gave up and gave it the quick fix that might not work. Thankfully, it had and he had been on a plane within the hour.

He looked at his watch again. It had been nearly 15 minutes now. This was definitely not like her. Just as he was pulling out his phone, someone walked out of the building. He felt his lips pull up into a smile; bit it wasn't his Dok Mi that came out. It was Jin Rak.

"Enrique?" Jin Rak said when he saw him, "What are you doing here?"

"Waiting for Dok Mi"

"You mean she hasn't been out yet?" Jin Rak said, "I saw her leave her apartment"

"No," Enrique replied, "How long ago was that?"

"I dunno, maybe ten 15 minutes"

Enrique started to worry. Even if she'd taken the stairs, it shouldn't take her fifteen minutes to walk down. Something must have happened.

"Go back upstairs and look for her," Enrique said as he pulled out his phone. Jin Rak looked like he was going to argue, then he thought better of it and left. Enrique dialed Dok Mi's number.

It rung once, twice, three- _hello, you've reached Go Dok Mi. I'm not available right now but- _he hung up and dialed again. By the third ring he was running into the building. She would have at least picked up if she was alright. She often ignored his calls when she was upset, but she wouldn't stand him up.

He ran up to the elevator and started pressing the button repeatedly. It seemed like an eternity before the doors actually opened. When they opened again on Dok Mi's floor, he saw Jin Rak in front of her door, knocking vigorously. Enrique ran the final yards until he was standing next to him.

Oh Jin Rak jumped back startled.

"Has she not opened the door?" Enrique asked

"No, she hadn't even said anything. What're you-"

Enrique gently pushed Jin Rak aside and hit the door with his fist, "Ahjumma!" he yelled, "Ahjumma, at least say something!" he hit the door again and again, but no noise came from inside. He noticed a small trickle of blood coming from his knuckle, "Go get the landlord" he said quietly. He sounded much calmer than he felt. He felt a storm growing inside. He felt it every time he started to worry about Dok Mi.

"Opening her door without permission seems a little rude don't you think?" Jin Rak said

"I called her 4 timed as I was running up here. She never picked up." He said, tears threatening to spill, "So if you'd please go get the landlord to open the door"

Oh Jin Rak stood still for a moment before running back to the elevator away. Enrique watched him until the doors shut before he turned back to apartment 402.

"Ahjumma," he said his voice barely above a whisper, "Please, Ahjumma. If you can hear me. Say something." A single tear rolled down his cheek, "Open the door, Dok Mi. and let me know that you're alright."

He was met with only silence

When Jin Rak came back up with the landlord, he saw Enrique sitting with his back against the door. There was a small pool of blood that had been steadily dripping from his knuckles and there were marks on the door from where he had been pounding. There weren't many times when Jin Rak pitied the man who'd stolen Dok Mi from him, but this was one of those times.

Enrique's hand was still above his head, knocking on the door softly. He looked empty inside except for the small spark of worry and terror. He looked like Dok Mi had in the beginning, before she had fallen in love with Enrique.

Jin Rak walked up with the landlord in tow. He gently patted Enrique on the shoulder, "move" he said, not unkindly. Enrique looked like a zombie as he stood up.

"I'm sure she's alright" Jin Rak said. But he knew it was a lie

"Yeah," Enrique lied back, "She's probably still getting dressed"

Enrique braced himself for what he might see inside, but when he opened the door, there was no one there, "Ahjumma!" he called, "Are you in here?"

No one spoke back. He and Jin Rak explored the apartment for 5 minutes before deciding she wasn't here.

"But if she's not in here and we never saw her leave the apartment-" Jin Rak began to say before they were interrupted by a blood curdling scream.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Enrique at first thought that it was Dok Mi, but it was too high pitched to be her. It sounded like it was coming from the staircase. Enrique didn't want to leave before he found out where Dok Mi was, but she clearly wasn't in her apartment. He glanced at Jin Rak before running down the stairs.

Stairs… neither he nor Jin Rak ever checked the staircase for her. The scream clearly wasn't Dok Mi's, but that didn't mean…

Panic started to rush over Enrique. How could he be so stupid as to not check the stairs? And why would she walk down the stairs when there was an elevator right outside her door?

Enrique's brisk walk turned into a run as the sequence of events began to form in his head. He stopped dead in his tracks when he hit the second floor.

His eyes widened as he took in the scene at the bottom of the staircase. Turned away from him was a woman, the one who had screamed, Enrique presumed. But that wasn't what scared him. She was kneeling in front of someone. Enrique didn't want to believe it, but he was certain it was Go Dok Mi.

The first thing Enrique noticed was the blood. There wasn't a lot of it, but Enrique's panic turned the small in pool into an ocean from which his Ahjumma would never return from.

He ran forward and roughly pushed the other woman away and knelt next to her. He couldn't think clearly. She was obviously unconscious, but for how long?

Was she alive? He should check to see if her heart was beating, but he couldn't make himself move down to find a pulse. His entire world was lying unconscious in front of him, but he couldn't make himself do anything to help her.

He finally reached out and brushed a piece of bloody hair off of her forehead, "Dok Mi?" he asked shakily, "Can you hear me, Go Dok Mi?"

He shook her gently, but she gave no response. He wanted to do anything it took to wake her, but if she suffered a head injury… no, he couldn't think about her dying. Just the thought of it would make him useless and she needed him right now. Enrique looked back up at the stairs and saw Jin Rak at the top staring down at them blankly, "Jin Rak, go call an ambulance."

"Wouldn't it be faster to drive her ourselves?"

"We don't want to shake her so much. She could have brain damage or something. Go call an ambulance"

Jin Rak knew better than to argue, so he ran out the door cell, phone in hand. Enrique turned to Dok Mi again. The blood at least looked like it had stopped flowing. Now that Enrique's hysteria was at bay, he noticed her chest rising and falling. She was breathing. He let out a small sigh of relief.

He turned to the woman who was cowering against the wall, "I'm sorry for pushing you," he sighed, "I panicked"

"It's alright," she said softly, "I think I'm going to go now"

Enrique nodded and watched her walk up the stairs. He heard sirens a moment later. He would be swarmed by paramedics soon. He wanted Dok Mi to be in the hands of professionals, but he also wanted to be by her side. Was this how she had felt when he got hit by the car? No, she didn't even love him then. She couldn't have felt like this. He knew that Dok Mi loved him, but he sometimes felt that it wasn't possible for her to love him as much as he loved her.

When he said that she was his world, he had been telling the truth. He had games and animations, but he would have given it all up without a second thought if it meant being with her. He almost had, but he saw she wouldn't be happy if he gave up his dreams for her. She had been so stupid. She thought he'd miss it and leave her. But everything had changed for him when he met her. He'd realized as soon as he saw her looking at the ocean that he wanted to be with her as much as he could for as long as he could.

It had been difficult getting close to her. At first, he thought he would only have to climb the walls she had put up to protect herself, but he soon realized that he'd have to tear them down completely to get her to love him. He reached for her hand without realizing it and gave it a small squeeze, "You'll be alright, Ahjumma" he whispered, "I promised I wouldn't let anything happen to you."

He saw someone on the stairwell with his peripheral vision. A paramedic. He let go of Dok Mi's hand and let the Doctor get to work


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

It had been hours and there had been no word about her condition. Jin Rak had finally gone home saying something about a deadline tomorrow. Dok Mi wouldn't have liked Enrique staying in the hospital all night waiting, but he couldn't bring himself to leave. What if she woke up and he wasn't there?

Enrique knew it was selfish of him, but he wanted to be the first thing she saw when he finally regained consciousness. He wanted her to know that he's meant it when he said he'd always be by her side.

But with every passing hour, Enrique grew more worried. He didn't know much about head injuries, but he was pretty sure that being out cold for 8 hours wasn't a good sign.

He wanted to see her, but every time he tried to sneak into her room, he'd been reprimanded by a doctor. Since he wasn't family, he could not be in her room without her consent. So he sat in the waiting room sulking and waiting and worrying.

It was day break by the time someone walked out. Enrique had been dozing for a few hours in an uncomfortable chair and he was sore beyond belief, but when he saw a nurse walking out, he leaped up and ran to her as if he'd slept a full night.

"Is she alright? Can I see her? Is she awake? Please let me see her. Has she asked for me? Is she okay? Can I see her?" questions flew out of Enrique's mouth faster than the nurse could answer them.

"She woke up a while ago. She's a bit disoriented and hasn't asked to see anyone. She hasn't said anything much, actually. She hasn't even asked what happened," the nurse replied, "A doctor is checking her out right now, but as soon as she's done, I can ask if you can go in."

"But is she alright?"

"Everything seemed normal on her CAT scan. No internal bleeding, no real damage. She suffered a minor concussion though so she's going to be sore for a while"

"She's okay" Enrique said mostly to himself.

"It looks like it," the nurse said, clearly affected by his own joy.

Enrique gave her one of his grins that has a tendency to make hearts melt, "Hey nurse" he said happily, "Do y'think I could see her now?" he asked.

"I don't know…"

He clasped his hands in front of his chest, "Pretty please," he begged, "I know Ahjumma would want to see me"

She didn't seem entirely convinced, but she said, "Fine, but don't tell anyone it was me that let you in."

He laughed giddily and followed her to a room near the back of the ER. He had to restrain himself from skipping. The past 12 hours had been hell, but Go Dok Mi was alright and they would be able to leave soon and go on the very special date Enrique had planned.

"You need to tone it down a bit," the nurse said, "She's nervous and probably has one hell of a headache."

Enrique nodded solemnly but he couldn't quite make the smile disappear from his face. He glanced into the room and saw her. A doctor was shining a light in her eye. She didn't seem to notice him. She tried not to blink as the ray pierced her cornea, but it was obviously causing her discomfort. He had the strong urge to push the doctor away and hug all of her pain away. For now, he settled to just stand in the doorway and wait for the Doctor to leave.

She glanced over at him once, but she didn't say anything and took her eyes off of him quickly. She didn't look over again until the Doctor was walking out of the room.

"Okay, Go Dok Mi," he said, "I want to keep you here for observation through the night, but you should be able to home in the morning"

She nodded, but didn't speak. That was odd, she was normally so polite. Enrique was about to walk in when the Doctor grabbed his arm.

"May we talk for a moment?" he asked. Enrique nodded and allowed himself to be pulled away from Dok Mi's room, "You've been here a night right?"

"Yes"

"And you're her boyfriend?"

Enrique hesitated. It seemed like such an understatement to call the woman who comprised his whole world simply his girlfriend, but he nodded anyways.

"You might want to sit down then" the Doctor said.

Enrique felt panic climb back up his throat. The nurse said she was alright, but maybe she was wrong.

"All I want is to see Go Dok Mi," he said

The Doctor looked at Enrique with pity. Pity was never a good sign coming from a Doctor, "I'm sorry, you can't"

"She's awake now, isn't she? I was told I could see her as soon as she woke up"

"With her consent, yes"

"Well, ask her. I'm sure she wants to see me"

"We have, Enrique"

"What?" Enrique felt all the air leave his lungs.

"What the nurse told you, it wasn't exactly true. Me and the head nurse decided it's be best to keep her condition under wraps until we decided how best to handle it," the Doctor said. There were a million things Enrique wanted to ask, but before he could say anything the Doctor continued, "She woke up hours ago, Enrique. And we told her that her boyfriend was here and asked if she wanted to see him"

"Then why didn't you get me when she first woke up?"

"Her answer… was a bit worrying," the Doctor took a deep breath and looked Enrique in the eyes, "She said she didn't have a boyfriend. We told her that Enrique Geum was here to see her and she insisted she didn't know anyone by that name."

"What?" Enrique said.

"We wanted to run a few more tests after that, to make sure she had no brain damage. Everything looked alright, so we diagnosed her with short term amnesia."

"But we've known each other for almost three years. That's not a short term relationship"

"To a 27 year old it is" the Doctor replied, "We questioned her extensively. She thinks she's 22. Just out of college and living in her first apartment. She has no memory of her current job and no memory of the accident. It took quite a lot of prompting to even get that much out of her. She's very quiet."

But she wasn't quiet. She was dead inside. 22 year old Go Dok Mi was a sad, broken person who rarely left her apartment. Enrique wished he'd taken the Doctor's advice to sit down. He felt like he was about to collapse. His whole world had just crumbled around him and there was nothing he could have done to prevent it.

_You could have not let her leave by herself,_ a voice in his head said, _it's your fault she fell._

Enrique felt like throwing up. It was he who had the idea to wait outside her window. It was he who ordered her to meet him upstairs instead of going up himself. The whole accident was his fault. He just destroyed the only thing in his life that truly mattered to him. And all because he had planned a special date for his Ahjumma.

Enrique put his head between his knees, desperate not to cry in the middle of a crowded room. He took a few deep breaths before sitting back up.

"So…" he said slowly, "what should I do?"

"I think you should leave, Geum" the doctor said bluntly, "Seeing you will only confuse and make her road to recovery more difficult. Let people she still knows help her and wait until she remembers"

"You don't understand," Enrique said, "She has no one. Her parents are divorced, her grandmother is dead, and she only leaves her apartment when she needs to. Her closest friend is her neighbor who she met once and I don't think she even knows his name. She was like that until I came into her life"

"Well then" the Doctor said, "There's no one to drive her home in the morning and I don't want her to drive herself or to walk. Maybe come back and take her home. See what happens"

It wasn't much, but it was something. It was a small hope that this all might be over in the morning and they could continue to be each other's worlds.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"Can you tell me your name?" A man, probably a Doctor since she'd decided she was in the hospital.

"…Go Dok Mi" she said quietly. Why was she here? Had something happened? Had she had another panic attack? She desperately wanted to ask these questions but her tongue wouldn't form the words.

"And how old are you, Miss Go Dok Mi?"

"22" she replied. Why couldn't she just go home? All she wanted was to be back in her apartment and heat herself up a nice hot water bottle. She saw on TV last week a commercial for a lesson on how to make paella that was airing tonight. She had always wanted to learn that and now she was missing it.

"Do you remember what happened to you?" the Doctor sounded strangely troubled.

"No" she admitted. She wanted her bed and her computer and to be away from this strange man who asked strange questions.

"You hit your head, Dok Mi," he said, "You were unconscious and a friend brought you here"

"Friend?" she asked

"Your boyfriend," he clarified, "He's waiting outside if you want to see him."

"Sir, I don't have a boyfriend" her having a boyfriend was laughable. She could barely go outside let alone have a normal conversation with people.

"Enrique Geum is not your boyfriend?"

"Enrique?"

"The man who brought you here," the Doctor said.

The name sounded vaguely familiar. Maybe that was her neighbor. She'd only met him once, but maybe he'd heard her fall and found her? It seemed like the only explanation.

"Enrique is my neighbor," she said. She wasn't sure if she was lying, but she knew he couldn't be her boyfriend.

"Alright" the Doctor looked like he didn't believe her but he didn't argue.

"Dok Mi, we're going to run some tests on you, okay?" he said, "Just to make sure that everything's okay"

Dok Mi nodded and let a nurse put her in a wheel chair and take her to a large room. She saw that it was dark out the windows, but last time she'd looked outside she could have sworn it was afternoon. How long had she been out? She stayed silent as the nurse instructed her and still as the CAT scan took place.

_The less of a fuss you make the sooner you can go home, _she thought. She went through another round of extensive questions. Where do you work? Where were you born? What's your middle name? Do you have any pets? What's your favorite color?

They all seemed like trivial questions, but she answered each one quickly with only one or two words. She was exhausted by the time they finished and it felt like someone was hammering a nail into her head.

"May I sleep?" she asked the nurse.

"Yes, Miss Dok Mi," a nurse said, "We'll talk more when you wake up"

She wished she would never wake up. If she woke, she'd have to face the anxiety and the pain. However long she had been unconscious had been an escape from it all, and now she was back and drowning in the real world. She laid back against her pillow and shut her eyes. For some reason, the pain in her head was even worse with her eyes closed, but she eventually drifted off into sleep.

Another round of questions greeted her in the morning. It was with the same doctors and nurses at least. She hated that she had to share so much about herself. They asked her a lot about high school, which was never fun. She was pushing back tears by the time she noticed him standing there. He had bright orange and he was smiling at her like she'd just handed him the world.

It unsettled her. What did this strange boy think he was doing looking into her room and smiling creepily. She could sense his presence near her the whole time the doctor was talking to her. She wanted to yell at him and tell him to leave, but that wasn't something she ever did. So she just sat, still, answered questions, and waited for him leave. The doctor finally left and took the strange man with him.

She let out a sigh of relief and asked the nurse, "Who was that boy?"

The nurse looked at Dok Mi oddly before saying, "That's Enrique Geum"

"Oh" she said, "the one who found me"

"Yes… you friend"

"He's just my neighbor, actually. I barely know him"

"Of course, Miss Dok Mi" she said as if she was talking to a child who had just said she was a fairy, "the Doctor wants to keep you here overnight, but you'll be free to go in the morning"

"Thanks," Dok Mi said simply. She just wanted to sleep again as long as she was forced to be here another 12 hours, but she was no longer tired. Dok Mi had only seen her neighbor once, but she was certain he didn't look like a 12 year old. And she was certain his name had been Jin Rak and that he had black hair. She didn't pay much attention to her surrounding, but she should at least recognize the people she lived next to.

Which begged the question, if Enrique wasn't her neighbor, who was he to her?_ Your boyfriend is here, _the Doctor had said. But… she didn't have a boyfriend. Who would ever love someone who never left their apartment and who feared getting hurt so much she never met anyone? No one could love a girl like that. But the Doctor had said it with such confidence.

Maybe Enrique was just a stranger. Maybe she passed out on the street and took her to a hospital like a Good Samaritan. But he'd been here all night? What stranger would stay in hospital all night?

She tried to put the thought out of her mind and go to sleep. Chances were she'd never have to see Enrique Geum again


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

When she woke again, it was dark and the boy was standing in her doorway again. She instinctively pulled her covers up to cover her chest and shoulders.

"They told me to leave," he said, "But I couldn't before I saw you"

He was smiling, but it looked forced and it didn't reach his eyes. His eyes looked like those of a dead man. It was like the eyes she saw reflected in the mirror. But his tone of voice didn't betray any kind of unhappiness.

"The nurse insisted that I couldn't come in unless you said I could, because I'm not family or anything," he continued, "so tell me I can come in"

He looked at her expectedly while she stared back at a loss for words, "Come on Ahjumma," he pleaded, "Just say, please come in, Enrique"

"Ah-Ahjumma?" she stuttered. Why would he be calling her a pretty woman?

Enrique took that as some sort of invitation and walked in, "Finally," he said as he sat down on her bed, "Do you know how uncomfortable those chairs out there are?"

She just stared at him blankly. Who was this strange boy?

"You know, Ahjumma," he said, "I'm supposed to drive you back home, but I don't think I can do it now"

"I… can walk" she replied

"No, no, no, Dok Mi," he said, "You can't go home. Not until you remember."

"Remember what?"

"Who I am, of course!" he said, "We went a lot of places together and I've been trying to think which place to take you. There's where we first met, but that's in fact your house, so we can't go there. I'm confident you'd just lock me out. We could go to my place, but again, it's too close to your house.

"Ideally, I'd take you where you first fell in love with me, but don't actually know where that is. So I maybe thought we could go where we fell back in love after you broke my heart, but I want us to be able to talk, which we can't do at a movie theater"

He leaned back until he was completely reclined next to her, "Love?" she stammered

"You know, I always thought you fell in love with me here. In this very hospital. You obviously don't remember, but I'm going to tell you. I had gotten hit by a car and you were out on a date with Jin Rak, but you heard I was hurt so you came rushing over. They wouldn't let you in at first, but you stayed until they would. You seemed so relieved when you saw me. I was already head over heels at that point, so you can imagine what I thought when _I _saw _you._ But that's not the important part.

"So that's what I think the first moment of mutual love was. Coincidentally, right when I got hit was when I realized I was in love with you. I was bleeding on the side walk and I saw you standing over me.

"It was the best thing I could've seen in front of me," he said, he grabbed her hand and rubbed his thumb over her palm, "My Ahjumma. The most beautiful girl in the world. I realized that I'd loved you the whole time we'd been friends. Well, very nearly the whole time. Anyway, I don't wanna tell you everything. There are some things you need to remember for yourself. So I'm not gonna tell you about our first kiss or our second, or the reason behind all of our fights.

"But I finally know where I'm gonna take you"

He pulled her hand up and moved his lips to it. Just before he would have kissed her, Dok Mi pulled her hand back, "You're wrong" she said simply, "I don't even know you, let alone love you"

"You don't know me right now, but you will." He replied, "You'll remember how much Enrique loves you and everything will go back to normal"

"Please leave my room" she said.

"Ahjumma-"

"I'm not your Ahjumma," she said, "I'm just Go Dok Mi, and Go Dok Mi doesn't have a boyfriend, and she hasn't been kissed, and she hasn't fallen in love, and she doesn't have anyone who loves her."

"22 year old Ahjumma doesn't have all that," he said. She could see that his smile had fallen slightly. He was still trying to keep the cheerful tone, but Dok Mi could hear his voice crack, "But you're not 22. You're 27 and you have any friends and a job and a man who loves you. Please, Dok Mi, try to remember"

She didn't believe him, but she could tell that he was at least partly telling the truth. There was a calendar in her room that read "February 20th 2014". She would be 27 now. But why was she so certain that she was 22?

"I hit my head" she said more to herself than Enrique

"Are you remembering?" he asked, she could see the glint of hope in his eyes and it killed her to take it away from him.

"I've remembered that there are things I've forgotten," she admitted, "But I don't remember what those things are"

"Then you believe me?"

Dok Mi looked down at her hand. Enrique was so close to her. He was a strange boy, but wouldn't get this close together unless they had been comfortable with each other at some point. Yet…

"No" she said quietly, "I don't love you" She didn't want to look up; she didn't want to see the hurt that would no doubt be in his eyes. She just wanted to go back to her life of solitude.

"I don't know you, so leave" she said again.

"I'm supposed to drive you home-"

"Get out or I'll call a nurse" she said, "I mean it, I don't want you here anymore"

Enrique stood up, "Call me, Go Dok Mi. Call me and I'll do whatever you ask. Just remember"

He walked out without another word. Dok Mi put her fingers to her face and found tears streaking down her cheeks. _Enrique Geum mean nothing to you_ she thought

She repeated those words over and over as she cried herself back to sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

It had been a weak hope, but a hope nonetheless. He let himself cry as he walked home. Enrique had many fans in Korea and he could tell that people were taking pictures of him but he didn't care.

He had made a promise to Dok Mi a long time ago that he'd always stay with her, yet he'd just left her all alone with no way home. _I should call Jin Rak to get her_, Enrique thought, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. Jin Rak had proven himself to be a good man and Dok Mi trusted him almost as much as she trusted Enrique, but Jin Rak would surely take advantage of this situation to get her back.

He was Enrique's friend, but he knew that Jin Rak was still in love with Dok Mi and never quite forgave Enrique for falling in love with her too.

Calling Jin Rak would be the right thing to do, but Enrique was selfish. He wanted to be the only one to be with Dok Mi until she remembered just how much she meant to him. _You're my world, Ahjumma_.

Enrique could be beaten half to death, but he could not imagine ever forgetting the day they'd first kissed. Maybe he was right and she had never loved him as much as he'd loved her. He immediately felt guilty for thinking that. Her life had been so much harder than his and she had had to overcome so much to allow herself to love. This wasn't fair of him to think less of her because she'd gotten hurt.

He'd completely hallucinated her the day he'd been hit by a car, and he hadn't even been injured that badly. He suddenly remembered the blood that his cut knuckles had left on her front door. He should go upstairs and clean it up. He knew she wouldn't want to be greeted by that.

He turned to the stairs at first, and then remembered the scene that would greet _him _on the third floor. Someone should clean that up to, but the thought of touching Dok Mi's blood make Enrique's stomach churn.

But maybe he should. He needed to do things to keep his mind off of her. He could think of ways to remind her later, but right now it was just too painful for him to think about how she had forgotten. It had taken everything he had to keep his smile. He needed to be as he was most of the time. Enrique Geum's lifestyle made it difficult for him to be sad for two long and his work attitude often leaked into his social interactions. He could only remember being truly and completely sad in front of Dok Mi. Somewhere along their friendship, he had given her the power to destroy him. And destroy him she did. Over. And over. And over. But he always came back for more, because as much as she could hurt him, she could also heal him. And she did that just as much.

He had happy memories from before he met Dok Mi, but the time they had shared together outshined every happy moment before her combined. And now it might all be gone. He couldn't imagine himself being truly happy again without her. Enrique had often thought about them breaking up. Go Dok Mi was sensitive and tended to keep things to herself. Even when she was hurt, she wouldn't say anything. Enrique had to constantly rely on observation and instinct to know what she was feeling. Enrique had hurt her many times, he knew. When he left the first time for Spain… he loved her and still he left her. Everything almost ended between them that night. If Seo Young hadn't told him what she overheard… he didn't like to think about it, about how close they had come being in love. About how much he had wanted her to ask him to stay in that moment and how much he hated her for not.

The part of that time in their relationship was the night they kissed for the first time. Well, not the first time. There was time he fell on her at the ocean, but that had been an accident. Their first real kiss might have been the best moment of his life. It was often tied with every other time he had spent with Ahjumma.

As he was scrubbing her door, he tried to think about all the good times. Every smile and laugh and kiss. He played them again and again in his mind. Just in case that was all he'd have to live the rest of him life on. He pushed the thought out of his head immediately and thought about the last time he'd come home unexpectedly.

It was almost a year and a half ago now; he had just finished the game. There had been a swanky post production party, but Enrique got on the first plane he could back to Korea. On some whim, he had dyed his from his natural bright ginger to black. Stupidly, he had worried most of the flight about how much Dok Mi would hate it. They talked every morning and every night, yet he had never taken a moment out of their conversations to mention that his hair was a different color. She'd be angry for sure, he decided. He had worked himself up into frenzy by the time the plane landed.

_Ahjumma will yell at me for hiding things from her, _he thought, _she'll wonder what else I've lied about. I have to dye it back before I see her!_

So he spent the better part of three hours searching for the precise color of dye that his hair used to be. He found some shades that came fairly close, but they looked different enough that Go Dok Mi would be able to tell. Looking back on it, Enrique wondered just why that was the one thing he was worried about. She was more likely to be angry at him for being gone over a year when he said it would just be a few months. But inept designers and clumsy interns turned the four month project into triple that time.

Of course, it wasn't Enrique's fault, but he still figured she'd blame him. In his mind, he had lied and left her after swearing he'd never hurt her again. He was projected his worry about that onto his hair, he realized.

He finally decided that it was time to stop looking and go to her.

He thought of many ways to surprise her. Show up at her door with a dozen roses; wait for her at work, text her to meet him at a vague address. But he had finally decided to see her the way they had first met; across the street from each other.

Even as she was running to him, he worried what she'd think about him. She stopped dead in her tracks the moment they were in arms reach of each other. Enrique was just forming an apology in his mind when Dok Mi sprang forward and wrapped her arms around him, colliding her lips with his.

As he hugged and kissed her back, he realized that she truly waited for him that whole year and that she had missed him just as much as he missed her. He hugged her even more tightly and deepened their kiss until it felt like something more meaningful than ever before.

He smiled at the thought as he washed the last of the blood from her door. How long had he been standing there with his sponge stationary lost in his thoughts? Recently, Enrique had only been remembering the Dok Mi he had helped create. The confident, beautiful woman who loved to experience life. At times, he forgot about the one he had first met.

He would have to be careful with her. She might shatter if he didn't treat her with care. This was the woman Enrique had first fell in love with, but it had been so long since he'd seen her. _What I said, _he thought, _oh god, I probably already ruined everything. _Why did he start of by saying they were in love? She obviously didn't remember and the Doctor had warned him not to force anything on her. He had already driven her away with his carelessness.

"What're you doing?" a voice behind him said. He whipped around and saw Go Dok Mi standing near the end of the hallway.

"I…" Enrique was at a loss for words for once.

"Why can't you just leave me alone?"

Enrique couldn't think of a reason that wouldn't reveal too much. She had to figure most of their story out on her own or it wouldn't be genuine.

You live here, Go Dok Mi?" Enrique asked as cheerfully as he could muster, "I was visiting my friend Oh Jin Rak; I must have knocked the wrong door! Stupid me!" he was disgusted by how phony he sounded. Surely Dok Mi wouldn't believe him.

"He's apartment 401" was all she said. She slipped in between him and the door and turned her key. It was dizzying to be able to have her this close and not touch her. He wanted to give her just the lightest kiss on the top of her head, but he couldn't. not without scaring her away

"Okay, Ahjumma," he said, "I mean Dok Mi. I'll see you later!"

"Please, Enrique," she replied, her voice barely above a whisper, "Just go home"

She shut the door in his face without another word.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Go Dok Mi didn't lie often, but she needed to in order to get out of the hospital. Everyone had absolutely forbidden her from walking home in her "condition", so she had said Enrique was outside to pick her up. She left before anyone had a chance to question her further.

It was freezing outside and she hadn't been entirely sure where to go. If she was smart she'd call Jin Rak. They had lived next to each other for five years; surely they must have been on good terms. But her anxiety got the best of her and she decided to try and make her way by herself. It had been a stupid choice. By the time she actually found her apartment, she was cold to the bone and her feet were wet. If she wasn't careful, she'd get sick.

She had no idea what to expect from her apartment. The last time she remembered being there, she had few belongings. She had just moved in and gotten a new job. She hadn't made much at her last job and couldn't afford nice furniture or decorations. Besides, what was the use of having a pretty apartment if no one else would see it?

She was cold and tired and had one hell of a headache and was not in the mood to see that strange man again. Enrique Geum. She had finally managed to get his face out of her mind. _He means nothing to you, _had become her mantra for the past few hours. Every time he popped into her head, she had to remind herself that he was nothing. A stranger who she had met once by chance. She owed him her gratitude for saving her, but nothing more.

Except she did. She owed him her memories. She didn't remember who he was to her, but she had no doubt he had been someone important. All the things he'd said… they'd sounded so genuine and heartfelt. She couldn't imagine that anyone could make them up. But the thought of anyone falling in love with her was ridiculous.

It was safer for her to pretend not to know him for the time being. She had 5 years' worth of memories to sort through and not enough time to do it. She had somehow managed to call her boss and explain the situation. She had given Dok Mi permission to work from home for as long as she needed to (apparently Go Dok Mi had been coming into the office for over a year now?), but she still had to do her work.

She was not looking forward to editing with her splitting headache. At least it would offer a distraction from Enrique. Maybe a shower first… that's when the doors opened to her hall and she saw him.

She had thought she'd made herself clear. Maybe she had just imagined herself telling him off? Sometimes she had fantasies where she was brave. Had she truly not said anything at all?

She didn't want to speak to him, not so soon after his love confession. But there was no way around it. He was right in front of her door, scrubbing something. She really didn't care what she was doing. He was there interrupting her solitude.

"What're you doing?" she managed to squeak out. He turned back to her, and for a spilt second she saw the joy that had been in his eyes before she'd dashed his hopes, but it was gone in an instant. For some reason, she wanted it back. It hurt her to see his sadness.

"I…" Enrique stammered. _Nothing funny to say this time? _She though, _Good._

Dok Mi used his silence to take the offensive. If he hadn't understood her in the hospital, she had to make sure he did now. If he didn't give her some space, she'd never be able to work things out. "Why can't you just leave me alone?"

His eyes darkened with hurt, but in a moment, it was replaced by the same false grin he had used before "You live here, Go Dok Mi?" he said cheerfully "I was visiting my friend Oh Jin Rak, I must have knocked the wrong door! Stupid me!"

He was lying, she knew he was. But he was offering her an excuse not to talk to him and she'd be damned if she didn't take it, "He's apartment 401," she replied. She needed to get away from him, but he was still standing in front of the door. In a rare display of confidence, she wedged herself between him and her home. They were not quite touching, but she could feel the heat radiating from his body. For the first time all day she felt warm. She knew there must be a blush coming to her cheeks. She needed to get away before she did something dumb. Like hug him. All she wanted was for him to wrap his arms around her and spread his warmth all over her. She made a point to stiffen herself so he wouldn't think she was comfortable.

He nodded to her "Okay, Ahjumma," he said. She stiffened at the pet name "I mean Dok Mi. I'll see you later!"

"Please, Enrique," she said, not exactly to him, but to some other being that would take him away from her "Just go home" she finished before shutting the door.

She might have been cruel to him, but she could tell it would take cruelty to get him to leave. He was acting like an overly affectionate dog, and the only way to get a dog to abandon you was to mistreat it. People had tried to befriend her over the years, but she always pushed them away using the same cruelty that had been inflicted on her during high school.

_But you're 27 now, _she thought, _are things really the same as when you were 22? _The notion flashed through her mind briefly before she pushed it aside. She promised herself that she would do anything to prevent another heartbreak. She wouldn't open herself back up ever, not after Do Hwi's betrayal.

If she had been stabbed in the back by her best friend since elementary school, what was stopping the boy she'd known for only a little while from doing the same thing?

It was too great a risk to trust people. She'd decided that long ago. Even if what Enrique had been honest about his own feelings, how could he possibly have known hers? Whatever love he spoke of had to be one sided. She promised herself that she'd never fall in love. It wasn't her fault if she couldn't reciprocate those feelings. His obvious hurt only reaffirmed her belief that love wasn't worth the pain.

She had everything she needed right here. A TV, a computer, more books then she could ever read. She had food and a job and roof over her head. She didn't need anything else to complete her. But…

She still felt strangely empty.

AN: I know there isn't a huge English speaking fandom for fbnd, but I really appreciate the few followers of this story, and I love the reviews I've been getting


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Enrique wasn't lying when he said he was here to talk to Jin Rak. Sure, he had hoped that Dok Mi would show up, but his intent was to inform him of things after he'd cleaned her door. He waited a few moments just to make sure she wouldn't come back out. _Please, just go home, _she said. He sighed. He was truly going to have to start over with her.

He moved over a door and knocked on apartment 401. Jin Rak answered the door immediately. He had probably been expecting Dok Mi.

"Enrique," he said, "I figured you'd-"

"Be with her," Enrique finished, "We need to talk"

Jin Rak let him inside and they sat together on the couch. This information would surely come as a shock to him too.

"Amnesia?" Jin Rak said when Enrique finished. His eyes were wide and there were a million thoughts going through his mind, "Will she ever remember?"

"The Doctor's said these things clear up on their own most of the time," Enrique said, "But I don't know."

Jin Rak was trying his best to look sympathetic, but he couldn't help but think of this as a restart. Another chance to impress Dok Mi. another chance to love her. But Enrique had become his friend. A betrayal like that would be unforgivable. Not to mention that it would be dishonorable for him if Dok Mi only fell for him because she couldn't remember the real love of her life. No, he couldn't go after Dok Mi.

"So… what do we do"

"I think I need to stay away for a while," he said. The words burned his throat as he spit them out.

"That might be best" Jin Rak replied, "If she's really 22, she might not be ready for you yet"

Enrique nodded, "I'd figured that much out," he said, "But I need you to help her if I can't"

"How?" Jin Rak asked, "We weren't friends until you showed up. We'd only talked a handful of times"

"I know," Enrique said, "But you need to become her friend. You need to help her remember the past five years"

"So you're asking me," Jin Rak began, "To help the woman I love remember that she loves another man?" the idea was so absurd Jin Rak laughed. But it was even more absurd that he was going to do it.

"Do you think this is funny, Oh Jin Rak?" Enrique snapped, "Because she'll never fall for you trapped in that apartment. I don't just want you to make her remember me. I want her to remember loving the life she had built.

"I want her to remember that she had let her barriers down and allowed herself to love again. I want her to remember that she decided the risk of heartbreak was worth it. I want her to be whole again"

"I'll do it" Jin Rak said.

"What?" Enrique replied. He had been so unprepared for him to agree so easily.

"I'll become her friend" Jin Rak repeated, "And I promise you, I will not try to win her."

"Really?"

"You're my friend, Enrique. And Dok Mi loved you with all her heart, even if she doesn't remember it."

Enrique was touched. The two had absolutely hated each other in the beginning, and now Jin Rak was agreeing to give her up.

"But…" Jin Rak said quietly, "What if she doesn't remember?"

That had been the one thing Enrique hoped he wouldn't say. It was easy to put that one terrible possibility out of his own mind as long as no one else vocalized it. Enrique could deal with the pain and the torture as long as he believed that he was getting somewhere with her. But to believe everything he could do was all in vain… that was one thing he could not endure.

"I don't know, Jin Rak," Enrique admitted, "Leave for good, I suppose. There's nothing for me here but her."

"Don't ever let her hear you say that," Jin Rak said suddenly and seriously, "Amnesia or not, that'll stick with her once she remembers everything"

Enrique looked down at the ground. He didn't need reminding that Dok Mi always felt like she was tying him down. Like she was topping him from living his dreams. She was so stupid. She was his only dream. As long as he had her, everything else could wait. But he didn't have her right now and he had to deal with that.

Enrique gave Jin Rak a pat on the back, "I should go, Jin Rak," he said, "the sooner I'm away from her, the happier she'll be"

"You live across the street, Enrique. She's bound to notice you're still here"

"I'm not planning to stay across the street," he replied, "I'm not even planning on staying in the country."

"You can't seriously be going to Spain" Jin Rak said, "Not at a time like this."

"She won't even care that I'm gone"

"Maybe now she won't," he insisted, "But when she remembers, you'll be the first person she wants to see. And what'll I tell her then? That you lost hope and abandoned her? Because you did that before and you almost lost her"

"I didn't abandon-"

"Yes you did, Enrique," Jin Rak continued, "You got scared by your feelings and you ran away. And you're about to do it again"

Enrique wasn't use to getting scolded by Jin Rak. He decided that it wasn't pleasant, but Enrique couldn't deny that Jin Rak was right: he was scared. Scared that he was handling this wrong, scared that Dok Mi would never remember him, scared that she'd be angry with him even if she did remember. He was scared to lose her, as he'd nearly done before. He wanted to run away and let her try and find him when it should be the other way around. He needed to find Dok Mi again, no matter how much it scared him


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

He had been standing outside her door for nearly 15 minutes. It had been so long since Jin Rak had talked to the old, secluded Dok Mi that he wasn't entirely sure if he could even do it anymore. In an attempt to help Enrique, he might actually make things worse. For the tenth time, Jin Rak held his hand up in front of the door and for the tenth time he put in it back at his side without knocking.

_Why is this so difficult? _ He thought, _why can't you just talk to her?_

The answer was simple. This was the Dok Mi that Jin Rak had fallen in love with. It was easy to put aside his feelings when he knew that she loved Enrique. But now… he was afraid his selfishness would get the better of him and he'd go after her again. But Jin Rak saw how much this situation hurt Enrique. For him to pursue Dok Mi again… it might just push Enrique over the edge.

As much as he believed having Enrique in Korea would help Dok Mi, he also persuaded Enrique do stay to keep himself in check. With Enrique only a phone call away, Jin Rak wouldn't be tempted to go after Dok Mi again. Well, he wouldn't be as tempted.

Jin Rak had pretty much resigned himself to the fact that Dok Mi would be his one and only love. Though his feelings for her had faded significantly, Jin Rak had never loved anyone like he'd loved her. He'd gone out with other girls, but he always compared them to Dok Mi and they'd never measured up.

He'd gone out with a quiet webtoon writer for a time, but she had broken up with him months ago to work somewhere else. He thought that he'd loved her, but looking back on it now, he had only been trying to fill the void that Go Dok Mi had left.

He raised his hand yet again and this time forced himself to knock. For a few minutes, no one answered. He knocked again. This Dok Mi would take some time and persuasion to open the door. He rang the bell and said, "Go Dok Mi, I need to talk to you. It's urgent"

A few moments later, she opened the door a fraction of an inch, "Jin Rak?" she said. She knew his name at least. That was a good start.

"Good morning, Dok Mi," he said

"Is there something you need?" she replied.

Jin Rak struggled to come with an excuse for her to come outside, "Some of your mail got delivered to my house," he said. No wait, he could just bring that over, he realized too late.

"Just slip it under the door," she said before shutting him out.

_That went worse than I thought it was going to, _Jin Rak thought as he went back to his own apartment. At the very least, he needed to find a letter so he wouldn't be caught in a lie. He wouldn't be able to explain that one. He could fabricate a letter himself, he supposed. In the end, he decided to give her an old magazine.

Even if his plan had worked, what would he have said to her? _Hey, Go Dok Mi, I used to be in love with you then you fell in love with this guy and now I'm helping him get you back because you have amnesia and can't even remember him. _It sounded ridiculous. This whole situation was ridiculous. Just when everything seemed calm and settled, this happened and ruined everyone's peace of mind. There must be a curse on this building. Anyone who had ever set foot inside of it was doomed to live confusing, absurd lives.

Jin Rak walked back over and knocked on Dok Mi's door, "Hey, I brought the mail over". She somehow managed to open the door even less than before.

"Thank you" she said as she took the magazine before shutting the door again. Jin Rak clenched his fists. She'd probably realize it wasn't hers and he'd be caught.

But to be fair, Enrique hadn't given him any tips on _how _to get close to her again. He was pretty much making this up as he went along.

With nothing else to do for the time being, he went back to his apartment and tried to work on his webtoon. Since he'd decided to stop "Flower Boy Next Door" Jin Rak had been pretty void of inspiration. He'd published a one shot here and there, but no ideas came to him for a long term series. He was barely able to pay his rent anymore. And Editor was obviously unhappy with him. More than once, he thought about finishing Flower Boy Next Door. He hated leaving a story unfinished, especially one that had gotten as much publicity as Flower Boy Next Door. But he owed it to Dok Mi and Enrique to leave it alone.

_The webtoon… _he thought. Dok Mi had been so upset when she'd found out about it. Jin Rak had been afraid it would even end their friendship. If she was to discover it again…

But right now, she and Enrique's reconciliation had never been written. It had gone on hiatus with them in a fight.

Jin Rak opened a folder that he had not written in in a very long time and typed in the first dialogue of the new chapter.

A.N: So some chapters will focus on Jin Rak, and I know they're not my favorite ones to write, so I'm sorry if they're not my best. I'm going out of town, so don't expect a new chapter until Sunday. I appreciate each and every review I get, so thank you


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

She needed to work, but her head was pounding. Since she'd gotten back from the hospital, there hadn't been a moment when her head didn't hurt. She had taken all the medications the doctors had prescribed to her, but they only made her drowsy and did nothing to curb the pain.

But her boss had only so much patience for an employee who insisted on working from home. Dok Mi needed to finish reading this book by tonight, her boss had said. She had been less than 40 pages from being done, but she had forgotten everything she had read before that. She had tried to edit the last chapters without the rest but she found it made no sense and resigned herself to the fact that she'd have to pull an all-nighter to finish

As long as she emailed all her edits by 9 am the next morning, she could sleep as long as she wanted for the rest of the day. The book was interesting, at least. It was an adventure book about a man who wanted to climb the highest mountain in America, but he met many challenges along the way. It had its issues, but she had her previous edits and all Dok Mi really had to do was get to the place she'd left of before her accident.

It was almost 3 am before she even felt tired. She looked at her progress and realized she was nearly to the point where she'd left off. A few more hours and she'd be able to go to sleep. She stretched her arms over her head and glanced at her book shelves. Looking at the titles, she'd probably bought most of them in the years she couldn't remember.

She only had two more books on her editing list for next month. If this amnesia thing was going to be long term she might as well reread some of them. She hated going out, so a whole apartment full of books she had no memory of reading was pretty much a dream come true. _Maybe this won't be so bad after all, _she thought as she went back to her work.

The next thing she knew, it was dawn. She looked over at her clock. It read 8:30. She had only a half an hour to finish this book and she still had nearly 100 pages left. There was no way she was going to finish on time. How could she be so stupid as to fall asleep! She had often slept at her desk before and was accustomed to the pains and aches it left, but she needed to be fully focused if she had any hope of even faking a few edits on the last chapter. She loathed doing it, but she had no choice but to skim the rest.

There were several other editors who looked at her work and made changes of their own. There were no real consequences to slacking off just this once, but she had so few things that gave her joy. She had always prided herself on her writing ability. If it didn't show, even this once, did she even deserve this job?

She shook the bad thought out of her head and went back to reading. She couldn't even remember of this book was fiction or not. It didn't matter anymore. She made a few superficial edits here and there. She made no real suggestions other than "consider revising" or "awkward sounding". Somehow, she was done at 8:55, but she was exhausted again despite her nap.

She emailed the edits then went to lie down. She was breathing hard and her vison was growing dark. _Oh no, _she thought. She had worked herself into a frenzy. She knew the feeling of a stress induced panic attack all too well. She's learned the hard way that she couldn't stay alone during a panic attack. She probably wouldn't be able to do anything for at least a few hours, and if she pushed herself to hard, she'd end up making things worse.

The most obvious option was to go to Jin Rak's and have him help her. She didn't want to inconvenience him, but she saw no other choice. She walked out of her apartment using the walls for support. This was the most severe attack she'd had in a while.

She knocked and knocked, but no one ever came to the door. The one time she actually needed his help was the one time he wasn't there. Could she walk to the hospital from here? Dok Mi doubted it, but she saw no other option. She could seriously hurt herself by staying alone.

She made her way to the elevator, focusing only on keeping herself upright. She somehow managed to get to the lobby of her building and out the door. But which way to go? With every step she took she got more turned around and every breath brought less oxygen into her lungs. She was panicking even more. Her vision was growing so black that she couldn't even read the street signs. She couldn't have found her way back to her apartment even if she'd wanted to.

Was she dying? She had never felt so disoriented, and she had suffered more than her fair share of panic attacks. Maybe the head injury was amplifying it?

She had forgotten all of her medications, she remembered with a jolt. She had antibiotics, and anti-anxiety pills. She was missing nothing by not taking the morphine, but missing the others could be dangerous.

_How could you be so reckless? _She thought. _God, I could actually be dying. _She felt like lying down and never getting up, the snow below her looked so inviting; maybe she would just sit for a moment. The whole world turned around as the ground rushed up to meet her. She was looking straight up and the sun was blinding her, but she had no energy to move her head away.

_Shut your eyes, Dok Mi, _a voice said, _just let everything go._

She obeyed the voice for a moment before a totally different one snapped her out of the momentary calm.

"Ahjumma!" it said. But who was speaking? She couldn't see anyone, but she felt less cold. She knew that she was no longer lying in the snow. Someone had to have picked her up, but who? The street had been totally deserted when she'd come out.

"Say something," the voice pleaded. A few moments ago, she had been content to give up, but something about the voice made her want to keep going.

"Can you…" she began. _Get my medications, _she was going to say. But she could not form the words. Instead she shut her eyes again and let the stranger carry her off.

A.N. I know I was gone for a few days, but I'm back now and you can expect pretty much daily updates Thanks for the reviews, I really appreciate them. The next chapter was one of my favorites to write, so I look forward to post it


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

The world came back to her in flashes. She saw a white ceiling, a green blanket, a painting hanging on the wall. But she also saw other things, things she wouldn't have expected to see. She saw an orange jacket, a brief flash of the ocean, a strange movie theater with moving seats. She was hot and cold at the same time. She was vaguely aware of someone constantly leaving and reentering the room. Maybe they were doctors? Had she been brought to the hospital again? That would probably be best. If she was in a hospital, someone was bound to notice that she hadn't taken her medications. She felt safe in whatever hands she was in and decided not to cling to consciousness.

But when she woke again, she found she was not in a hospital at all, but a normal room. She must be in someone's house, but whose? She carefully got out from under the covers and stood up. The world was spinning around her, but she managed to keep her footing.

She recognized the place, but wasn't sure where from. She must have been here before her accident. She was sure she was in someone's bedroom and from the décor; it was most likely a man's. Had the stranger who picked her up brought her back to his house? She needed to get back home if for no other reason than to get her meds, but as soon as she took a step forward, she was on the ground.

She tried in vain to stand back up, but her legs simply wouldn't support her. She sat on the ground helplessly; she wasn't quite desperate enough yet to call for help though. She laid her head back against the mattress and shut her eyes. Maybe the next time she opened them, she would awake in her own sleeping and bag and discover this was all a dream.

But when she opened them again, she was still on the floor in the same familiar room. Only this time, there was someone kneeling in front of her with his hands on her shoulders. She blinked a few times to make sure she wasn't hallucinating.

"Enrique," she said slowly, "what're you-"

"Thank God," he said. She gasped as he pulled her into a tight hug. Her first instinct was to wrap her arms around him too, but he let go before she got the chance, "Sorry," he said sheepishly.

Dok Mi looked down at the ground, "It's alright," she said softly, "But… where am I?"

"At my house," he replied, "I saw you faint and I brought you here. I thought about taking you to the hospital, but I know how they make you nervous. I thought you'd feel better if you just had to deal with me"

_Like dealing with you is easy, _she thought, "Well thank you," she said as she attempted to stand up again, "I'll be leaving now"

She was unsteady, but she managed to stay standing, "At least let me walk you home," Enrique said. Dok Mi wanted to refuse, but she was in no shape to find her way home by herself. She didn't even know where she was.

"Yes…please" she said. Enrique smiled. It was the first genuine smile she'd seen out of him. She couldn't help but smile back.

"Are you sure you don't want to stay?" he asked, "Maybe have some food?" Dok Mi's stomach betrayed her by growling before she could say no. she hadn't eaten since before she started working last night.

"Thank you," she said, "But I need my medication," she hesitated before continuing, "I fell asleep before I could take them last night"

"You can't do things like that, Ahjumma," Enrique said. He was trying to wound stern, but she could sense the worry in his voice.

"I know" she replied, "It was an accident. I was working and next thing I knew it was morning"

"Did you fall asleep at your desk again?" he asked.

"Yes," she said, "How did you-"

"That's really bad for your back, y'know," he continued, "that plus the fact that you sleep on the floor. You're going to be hunchbacked old woman by the time you're 40"

Dok Mi couldn't help but laugh at that, which caused Enrique to grin again. Dok Mi smiled shyly, "I really do need my meds though"

"I can go get them," he said.

"You don't need to-"

"Ah" he said, "You don't remember how close we are. You live right across the street, Ahjumma"

"Really?" she said.

Enrique nodded and opened the curtains. He pointed across the street and said, "Fourth floor, second window from the left"

"Huh," she said, "Well, I guess I can walk home by myself"

"No, Ahjumma," Enrique replied. There was no room in his voice to be persuaded, "I'll go get your medicine and you will stay here and rest"

"But-"

"No buts," he said, "Get back in bed and sleep"

She nodded solemnly and sat back down, "Where's your house key?" he asked

"I think the door's unlocked," she replied.

He nodded and pulled the blanket over the top of her, "Promise me you won't run" he said.

"I promise" she replied.

He patted her on the head once before turning away. Dok Mi sat in silence for a few minutes. She could still feel Enrique's body heat from when he'd hugged her. She still felt the urge to hug him back even though the contact was long gone. Dok Mi normally hated physical contact, so why was this time different? And why was she so comfortable in his house? She was always nervous whenever she went not someone else's home. But here… she felt strangely at peace.

And the head pat. It was such a familiar and affectionate gesture. She lay back down on the bed and let herself drown in the warmth on the blanket.

_Enrique Geum means nothing to you, _Dok Mi thought. Maybe if she kept repeating it, she would eventually believe it.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Thankfully for Enrique, the door was unlocked. Which only made him worry more. Her apartment was the only place Dok Mi felt safe. If she'd left it unlocked, it meant that she had really been hurting earlier. As long as he was here, he took a look at what she was up to. On her desk were three manuscripts. _Why do you push yourself so hard, Ahjumma? _He thought sadly.

If she wasn't careful, she'd run herself into the ground. But he still was somewhat happy this had happened. It had given him a chance to see and touch her. He had missed her more in the few days she'd been away then he had ever missed her while he was in Spain. He missed her more than he could have ever imagined missing another person.

And he felt guilty as hell that he was happy he'd been the one to see her collapse. He'd told Jin Rak that he'd stay away from her for now, but he knew he could never do it. Dok Mi had become like an addiction to him. Enrique couldn't go more than a few days without her before going into a bottomless pit of withdrawal.

Every day since her accident had been like that. Sure, she was around him, but she was never really there. He'd trusted Jin Rak to get close to her and lure her back out into the world. But Jin Rak had loved her the way she was. He'd wanted to help Enrique, but he just didn't know how. Enrique could see that, but he didn't want to admit it until he let Jin Rak try.

Enrique looked around her desk a little more until she found two small plastic bags filled with prescription bottles. Along with the medicine, he grabbed a few books. Ones he knew were her favorites that she probably didn't remember reading. And yes, he grabbed his own book. There had been parts in there he knew had made an impact on her.

He made his way back through the light snow to his apartment. He set the medicine and books down on the table and walked back into his bedroom where he found Dok Mi sleeping soundly. She looked so adorable and peaceful when she was asleep. He hated to wake her, but she really needed to take her medicine.

He sat down on the side of the bed and touched her shoulder gently, "Hey, Ahjumma," he said. She stirred but did wake up. He shook her a little more forcefully, "Dok Mi," he said, "Wake up"

"I'm sorry," she muttered in her sleep. Enrique furrowed his brow. What did she have to be sorry for? But before he could come up with an explanation, she said, "thank you"

Enrique's heart seemed to stop beating. It was their game. She was remembering the first time that they'd said they loved each other. He wanted to wait for her to say "I love you," if only so he could hear it one more time, but she opened her eyes before she said anything. She looked up at him drowsily and for a moment she looked like his Dok Mi. How many times had they fallen asleep at each other's apartments? How many times had they covered each other with a blanket as they slept on the floor?

He missed it. He missed waking up to find her on his couch when he thought she'd left hours ago. Quite simply, he missed her.

"Enrique," she said sleepily. A small smile danced on her lips, "Enrique" she said again.

"I brought your medicine, Ahjumma" he said. This seemed to snap her back into the real world. She sat up and pulled the covers as tightly around her as she could.

"Thank you," she said as she took the bag he was holding. She took out a bottle and looked at it for a moment, "These aren't the right ones" she said.

Enrique held out the second bag, "I found these ones too." He replied, "I wasn't sure which was which, so I brought both."

"Those ones are for anxiety," she said, "I haven't used them in months" She put aside the first bag and took out a single pill from the second.

"Don't you want the morphine?" Enrique asked. He probably shouldn't have, but he had looked at all the medications as he was walking back.

"It doesn't help" she replied quietly.

"You fell down a flight of stairs," he said, "You must be in a lot of pain"

"I am," she said, "But pain killers have never worked for me"

Enrique put his hand gently on her arm, "You haven't taken anything since the accident?" she nodded, "I can't even imagine how much you've suffered."

Before he could think better of it, he pulled her into a tight hug. The last time they'd hugged, he had been worried and not thinking. This time, the squeeze was deliberate. He wanted her to feel his love for her with his arms and to understand how much being apart was killing him.

"You thought I fainted," she said suddenly as she detangled herself from his arms.

"Didn't you?" Enrique replied.

"Yeah," she said, "But I didn't just faint for no reason."

Enrique felt like this was a trap, but he took the bait anyways, "Okay" he said, "why did you faint?"

"I had a panic attack" she said, "I pulled an all-nighter to finish the manuscript I was working on and… I had a panic attack"

"I didn't know"

"Just like you didn't know about my anxiety medication" she said, "Which begs the question, how well do you really know me?"

"Ahjumma," Enrique said, "What're you-"

"Don't you think you'd know that someone you love had crippling anxiety?" she said, "and was prone to panic attacks?"

"I did know, Dok Mi," Enrique said, "It just wasn't something I thought about."

"How can you not think about it? If you were close to me at all, it was something you couldn't escape"

"I can't tell you all these things, Ahjumma," Enrique said. He suddenly felt exhausted, "You need to remember for yourself"

"Then I can't be around" she said simply, "If you're keeping things from me…"

"But I can't make you feel how you did before" Enrique replied, "You were broken when I met you."

"And you fixed me?" she asked, "Is that what you're trying to say?"

"No, Ahjumma" he said as he touched her cheek, "You fixed yourself."

She quickly swatted his hand away, "I need to go home" she said as she got up.

"Go Dok Mi, Please" Enrique pleaded.

"No," she replied, "I can't deal with this right now. You don't know me and you clearly don't know what I've been through"

"Yes I do" Enrique said, "Because you told me"

"I promised I'd never tell anybody," she said mostly to herself.

"But you told me," He insisted, "You trusted me enough to tell me about your past."

"I couldn't have" she replied. She turned back around and walked to the door.

"You did, Ahjumma," Enrique said, "You decided that it was worth the risk"

"Nothing is worth the risk"

"I was," Enrique said, "In that moment, you said that I was worth it."

"Well," she replied, "I changed my mind."

She opened the door and walked out of Enrique's apartment. He put his head in his hands and cried quietly. She had said some horrible things over the course of their relationship to drive him away, but this had been the worst.

Enrique supposed it had been his fault. He shouldn't have pushed his feelings on her and he definitely shouldn't have hugged her. This was the kind of tactlessness that had almost caused him to lose her countless times.

Enrique wanted her to remember him, but he wanted her to remember himself more. _There hadn't been a time in my life when I've loved myself, _she'd said once. But she had loved herself. When they were together, she loved herself. Not as much as he'd loved her, but it wasn't possible to love anything more than he loved her.

She needed to find herself again. Their love would come back eventually, but not until she learned her own value. He couldn't stay away from her, he knew that now. But to make her remember, he'd have to start from the beginning


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

_Enrique Geum means nothing to you; Enrique Geum means nothing to you. _It had become Go Dok Mi's most frequent thought. But every time she saw him, she convinced herself of it less and less. She would eventually stop believing it all together. Could it be possible that she had loved him before her accident?

He seemed like a nice enough guy, but no one was nice enough to put up with her for an extended period of time. And besides, he looked and acted like a small child. There was no way Dok Mi would ever fall for a guy like that.

Yet… there was still something that drew her to him. With his childlike nature came a sense of innocence and purity. He couldn't be older than 23. Maybe she had liked how he hadn't seen any of the world or its suffering.

But even if she had loved him, it was over now. Any memories she'd had of their relationship was long gone. And it wasn't fair to him to still love her while she couldn't even remember him. But… she did remember some things.

She had another dream about the ocean. This time, though, there was a sandcastle. She never saw who built it, but she believed it meant something special to her. But she hadn't been to the ocean since high school. So why did she keep dreaming of it?

Go Dok Mi kept pondering this as she went back to her apartment. She was so lost in her thoughts that she almost didn't notice the small carton of milk on her porch. She bent down to examine it. Had someone dropped it or had it been meant for her? If it was the latter, why would anyone leave the gift of milk?

_I won't have to go to the store for another day, _she thought as she pocketed the small carton. But it still puzzled her. And even more then the milk itself was the small post it note on the side. There was doodle on it that appeared to be of her. She was standing in front of a painting. She wasn't a huge art fan, but she recognized it as a Van Gogh.

She didn't have the time or the patience to think about the drawing. Whoever it was would ether stop or make themselves known. She threw the milk in her fridge and went back to her desk. With nothing better to do, she might as well work on the next book.

This one was significantly less exciting than the last. It was a memoir of a famous lawyer, but not an interesting lawyer that handled murder cases and such. This was a well-known divorce lawyer. She spent the next several hours reading about failed marriages and the financial compensation or devastation that followed. She was sick of it by before ten.

_How do some of these books get published? _She thought as she stretched and yawned. Something caught the corner of her eye. She turned around in her char and saw Enrique looking at her through his window. He was smiling like he normally was, he looked angry even. He glared at her and he was wearing, of all things, a panda hat.

_What the hell? _She thought as he continued to scowl. She thrust her blinds shut and returned to her desk, but she could still feel his eyes on her. She eventually opened the blinds again to find that he wasn't there. A moment later, she heard the knock on the door.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

When he said the beginning, he meant the very beginning. All the way back to their first awkward meeting where the seeds of friendship had been sewn. Actually, she hated him when they first met. She'd thought he was annoying and childish. And he'd thought she was a pervert.

Okay, maybe this wasn't a perfect plan, but he had already put the panda hat on. Now, it was just a matter of waiting till she looked out the window. His legs hurt and he was getting tired, but if he didn't do this now, he'd lose his nerve. So he stood in silence and waited until she looked at him

She looked shocked to say the least when she at last turned around. There was no spark of memory in her eyes, and no reason for him to be angry with her this time. He was hoping that maybe he could start their relationship from scratch, and that meant replicating everything. She shut the blinds suddenly and he ran to her apartment in the snow.

_Had it been this cold last time? _He thought as he clutched the fur hat close to his face. Maybe he had just been stupider and ignored the cold. That seemed more likely. If there was anything Dok Mi had done to him, she had, made him less idiotic. Slightly.

He pounded on her door for a solid five minutes without a word before Jin Rak came out.

"What are you doing?" he hissed, "It's almost midnight"

"I'm starting over" he said cheerfully.

"Have you lost your mind?"

"Probably" he admitted, "But nothing else is working"

"So you stalk her?" Jin Rak asked angrily.

"It worked last time," Enrique shrugged.

"You're a lunatic," Jin Rak yelled.

"Pervert!" Enrique screamed, "Dirty old man!" that should at least bring her out, Enrique figured. But she stayed silent. Enrique frowned and pressed the bell. Over. And over. And over. Until…

A security guard walked down the hall.

"Sir," he said to Enrique, "We've had noise complaints."

"Thank god you're here, Officer," Enrique said in his sweetest voice, "Whoever lives here has been peeping on me and my cousin"

"Peeping?" the officer asked skeptically. He knocked on the door softly, "Sir, please open up"

The door opened a fraction of an inch and Dok Mi's head popped out.

"A girl!" Enrique exclaimed, feigning surprise.

"Go away," she said to Enrique, "I'm working"

"Sorry, miss" said the officer, "I was just taking him away"

"Thank you," she said before shutting the door.

"C'mon, kid," the officer said as he grabbed Enrique's arm.

"No, you don't understand." He said desperately, "she's a pervert!"

"She seems like just a shy young woman," the officer replied, "You on the other hand…"

"Jin Rak," Enrique said as they passed his door, "Tell him!"

"Give it up, Enrique," Jin Rak said looking away.

"Traitor" Enrique spit, "Brutus, Pontius Pilot!"

Enrique continued to scream as he was dragged down the hall, "I'll be back, Go Dok Mi! Prepare yourself!"

The officer held onto Enrique tightly until they were completely out the door. Enrique sulked in the corner of the lobby for a few minutes, completely aware of the odd looks he was getting from the apartments other tenants.

_That went about as well as it did the first time, _Enrique thought. He tried to remember the exact sequence of events that led up to their friendship and eventual relationship. She had fainted in his arms, but that would be difficult to replicate. The next logical course of action was to take her to the beach, but Enrique was hesitant to do that.

That was the place where he'd first fallen in love with her, it seemed wrong to bastardize the memory in the vain hope it would trigger something. Especially since she now thought he was insane as well as an obsessive stalker. And the kiss… the first time they kissed had been an awkward accident. He'd thought for weeks about how to kiss her again. The kiss had been crucial to their story. But it would be nearly impossible to fake an accident like that. She'd surely know he'd planned it, and then what?

Enrique rarely thought things through before he did them, but that was going to require some finesse. Finesse he was unaccustomed to having to demonstrate. Sure, dealing with his fans took some tact… but he wasn't in love with them.

And even if he wanted to take Dok Mi to the ocean, he doubted she'd even open her door for him after what just happened. He was trying to remember how they had gotten their first time… but it had been so long ago…

They had been somewhere else and she had fallen asleep in the car. If he was remembering correctly, he'd kind of taken her against her will. What had he been thinking! That was borderline kidnapping. But he knew she had enjoyed herself at least a little bit. She loved the ocean and Enrique had tried to take her there as much as possible.

He had to take her back, he decided. Somehow, they would get back to the ocean.

A.N. So I thought we could use a break from some of the angst that has been going on. This one was super fun to write and is probably my favorite so far.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

The whole scene was absurd. The hat and the knocking and the name calling. It felt too random and out of place. Enrique Geum was an idiot, Dok Mi knew, but he had never struck her as completely insane. Until now, that is. What sane person would stomp over during snow storm and pound on a girls' door calling her a dirty old pervert? And why had he called her that?

It wasn't like she had broken into his house. He had brought her there on his own. He had been the one to put her in his bed, not the other way around. He was the one who randomly hugged her and held her hand without any kind of provocation or consent. Yet he had the nerve to call her a pervert? How had she ever become friends with that boy?

At least Jin Rak had seemed to be on her side. _Give it up, Enrique, _he'd said. But give what up? Had this been some sort of ploy of his to get her memories back? If it was, it seemed like a completely idiotic plan. How could something like that possibly trigger anything other than fear?

Yet… she hadn't stopped thinking about him since. Maybe that was what he wanted, to keep himself in her mind. If so, it had worked. But she wasn't in love with him. If anything, it made her want to stay further away from him than ever.

It would be easier for the both of them if she didn't have to be around him anymore. But he lived across the street. Dok Mi couldn't live with her curtains shut 24/7. Every time either of them looked across the street, they'd be reminded of each other. What a horrible situation to be in.

He was back inside her mind and under her skin. This must have been exactly what he wanted. "Ugh" she said, much louder than she had intended to, surely Jin Rak had heard her. So what? So many people had been invading her space recently, sticking their noses where they didn't belong. She was frustrated at life and herself and most of all, she was frustrated with Enrique Geum.

"Ugh!" she yelled again, even louder than before, "Ugh, ugh, ugh, ugh, ugh" she screamed until her throat was raw. How long had it been since she'd let everything go like that? Years, since high school even. She had never been good about sharing her feelings but since Do Hwi's betrayal… it had become impossible.

Dok Mi had to admit, it felt good to just scream all her anger away. After she was done, she felt oddly peaceful. Like she just wanted to curl up on her couch with a good book and hot cup of tea. She hadn't really used any water today, she figured she could spare some to make a pot of green tea.

While the water was boiling, she wandered over to her bookshelves. Just yesterday, she had been thinking about how many of the titles were unfamiliar to her. It was almost 2 in the morning and she wasn't even tired. Now might be a good night to start catching up on all her books.

_That's odd, _she thought. There seemed to be books missing. Admittedly, there were books all over her house, not just in her bookshelf. But it didn't feel like Dok Mi would leave gaps like that.

"Oh no" she said, "Oh no. Enrique Geum did not…"

But he did, she knew he did. She vaguely remembered seeing books on his kitchen table when she'd left his apartment earlier. He had taken her books. Dok Mi could take a lot of crap. She had been bullied and tormented, but she could not stand anyone stealing from her. And her books! Her most valued possessions.

She turned off the stove quickly, the allure of her tea already forgotten, she grabbed her coat and ran out the door.

_This is crazy, _she thought, _it's two am. He probably won't even be awake. _Good, maybe then he'd see what a nuisance he'd been to her, pounding on her door at midnight. At least she had a reason for coming over here. All signs pointed to Enrique just wanting to confuse and infuriate her, Dok Mi had a purpose.

She ran up to his door and pressed the doorbell vigorously. She wanted to yell at him, but she couldn't find the right words to express her anger. So she just settled for knocking and ringing the doorbell.

Eventually, he opened the door. He looked like he had been asleep. For a moment, Dok Mi felt bad for waking him, but her anger returned to her.

"Ahjumma, what're you doing here?" he asked as he rubbed his eyes and yawned, "Did something happen? Are you alright?"

His concern threw her off slightly. She had been angry when he'd showed up at her house uninvited. She hadn't once thought that maybe he had been into some trouble. _Don't lose your nerve, Dok Mi, _she told herself.

"My books," she said, "You stole my books."

"Stole your…?" he said, "Oh, the books!"

"Oh?" she yelled, "that's all you have to say?"

"Please come inside," he said as he grabbed her arm, "It's late and we wouldn't want to disturb my neighbors."

"Let go of me," she said, "I just want my books"

"Why are you wearing short sleeves?" he asked, dodging her request, "You must be freezing."

Now that he mentioned it, she was cold. She was normally so careful about putting on a coat, she couldn't afford to be sick, not on the salary of a stay at home editor.

"I know you can get careless when you're angry" he said. She looked up at him. How had he known what she was thinking?

"Oh," he said, "I can hear Ahjumma's voice"

_He really is an idiot, _the though.

"Insulting me won't make it untrue, Dok Mi," he said, "It's been a while since I've heard it, but you're always there. Right here" he said as he touched his forehead, "Now come inside and get warmed up"

She hesitantly stepped inside as he shut the door behind her. She noticed her books on his table immediately.

"You know," Enrique said, "That sounded kinda creepy. 'come inside and get warmed up', like something a serial killer would say in a movie."

She turned backed and looked at him nervously, "That probably wasn't the best thing to say," He said sheepishly, "Considering I'm trying to get back on your good side"

She couldn't help but laugh, "You coming to my house at midnight and calling me a pervert was your idea of getting back on my good side?"

"Well, you're here, aren't you?" he chuckled.

"I'm here because you stole from me," she retorted, "Not for personal reasons."

"I know you, Go Dok Mi," he said, "If you didn't want to come, you would've found a way to get your books back without having to see me." He stood up and walked into the kitchen, "No, you wanted to see me, Ahjumma"

"I did not," she replied defensively, "I want nothing to do with you"

"Green tea's your favorite, right?" he said. He didn't wait for an answer before he started making it. Even though green tea was her favorite, it was rude for him to ask then ignore her, "You can't stay away from me, Dok Mi. No more than I can stay away from you"

She stood up, "This is me staying away from you," she said, "I'm leaving"

He put the tea pot on the stove and walked over to her, "You can't walk home alone at this hour. It isn't safe."

"Well, you're not going to walk me," she said.

"It's not safe for me to walk back on my own either" he replied.

"You are such a child" she said.

"Ahjumma," he said, "just stay the night. I won't bother you, I promise"

"No" she said

"Please?"

"No"

"Why not?"

"It's weird…"

"At least it's not dangerous" he said, "Unlike waking a guy up at two am after walking from your house without a coat"

"I was angry" she said

"Do you always do stupid things when you're angry? He said, "Stupid question, I know you do"

"I'm going"

He stepped in front of her and blocked her way out, but somehow she didn't feel threatened, "Please, Ahjumma," he pleaded, "I made you tea and everything."

She looked out his window to her own apartment. She hadn't been relishing the walk alone in the cold, even though it would take her no more than five minutes, "Fine" she said meekly.

Enrique stepped away from the door, "Yay!" he said, ever the child.

_I'm going to regret this, _Dok Mi thought as she sat back down at the table.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Maybe Enrique shouldn't have manipulated her into staying, but he hadn't said anything that was untrue. It would have been unwise for her to walk back to her apartment alone, and he had made a whole pot of her favorite green tea just for her. He really just had her best interests at heart.

_You're a liar, Enrique Geum, _that annoying voice inside his head said, _you just want her here for you._

It was true they got along better late at night. In the beginning, all of their best memories together had taken place in the late hours.

He found himself thinking about the ocean again. What time had it been when he stumbled into the inn drunk and kissed her by mistake? It had sobered him up enough to drive, he remembered. Again, he decided that they needed to go back there. Maybe in the morning he'd try to coerce her into a road trip.

He pulled out his nicest cups and served the steaming tea. Enrique enjoyed tea that went better with sugar and milk, but Dok Mi enjoyed hers simple, so he made the green tea her knew was her favorite.

"Thank you," she said as he handed her the cup.

She looked so unconfutable that Enrique felt guilty. He should offer to walk her home… but he wanted her to stay. So badly he wanted just one night that felt like the old days.

They drank their beverages in awkward silence. A few times, Enrique tried to make conversation, but Dok Mi just kept answering with one or two words. Eventually he stopped trying. He remembered how most of their conversations up until their first real kiss had just been him monologing He didn't realize until much later how obnoxious he must have sounded. Not that he cared as long as he got to spend time with her, but still.

"Are you tired, Go Dok Mi?" Enrique asked.

Dok Mi took another sip of tea before answering him, "A bit," she admitted, "but I'm used to staying up all night for work"

"You're not planning on staying up all night are you?"

"I'm not going to sleep here" she said stubbornly.

Enrique smiled, this was so like her, "You will" he said, "You said that many times to me and you never accomplish it."

"I will" she insisted.

"No" he said, "You always accomplish your goals, but not this one. You value sleep more than you value honor"

"Maybe" she said, "But I refuse to sleep in the same room as you"

"It's never bothered you before" he pouted. He could tell that hit a nerve. He probably shouldn't have said that, "Not that we ever did anything bad. We just used to sleep on each other's floors a lot. It's kind of a hazard of talking late into the night."

"Well…" she said, "not anymore"

"Go to sleep when you're tired, Ahjumma" he said, "I'll just cover you with a blanket and go to my own room. I promise"

She stayed silent, "You don't trust me" Enrique said, "After everything we've been through since the accident, and you can't believe I would let you sleep in peace? I am truly insulted, Dok Mi"

"Do you blame me" she said, "You've been acting like a crazy person"

"I'm not going to kill you or anything!" he said, "I just want to spend time with you"

She got up suddenly, "I knew this was a mistake"

Enrique could see her eyeing the door; he had to make her stay. Somehow, "Okay, okay" he said as he stood up next to her, "I'm sorry, Dok Mi. I shouldn't have said that. You don't have to sleep if you don't want to. But that rule doesn't apply to me, so as soon as we're done with our tea, I'll take a shower and go back to my own room. We won't speak for the rest of the night. Deal?"

"Deal" she said. Was it Enrique's imagination, or did she sound a little sad?

Enrique tried his best to make the tea last, but eventually he finished. Dok Mi, who had finished long ago, looked extremely tired.

"I'm going to bed now, Dok Mi" Enrique said. She looked relieved, which made him feel even worse for keeping her here.

She got up from the table and walked towards to couch. She had spent so many nights on it, but she looked like a stranger here now.

"Hey Dok Mi," he said, "If you want… you can take the bed"

"No, Enrique" she said quickly, "I could never"

"Come on" he said, "you'll be more comfortable" Dok Mi looked at the couch, he almost had her, "It wouldn't be good for your head or neck on the couch. Or on that floor of yours you normally sleep on. You should really invest in a bed. But just for tonight, let me take care of you"

"Well…" she said, "Just for tonight?"

"Just for tonight" he repeated.

"Fine" she said, "But I'm leaving at dawn

Enrique smiled, "Ahjumma looks cold" he said. He was pushing his luck, "Do you want to take a hot shower?"

"I…" she said slowly, "Have no clothes to change into"

"I have some stuff you could sleep in" he said.

She looked like she wanted to accept, "that wouldn't be appropriate"

"Come on, Dok Mi" he said, "You look tired and sore. Just take a quick shower, then to bed."

"Alright," she said. She didn't even sound a little reluctant, "but you stay in the kitchen until I'm done"

"I'll leave clothes out on my bed" he said, "Tell me when you're done so I can have a turn"

"Okay" she said, "I'll be back out here in ten minutes" she said.

Enrique watched her go. They had showered at each other's place before, and it had felt very… intimate for the both of them. It made the mood more domestic, like they were married or something. Enrique thought now it just seemed awkward. But his shower was truly magical. It could wipe away a week's worth of stress in a minute. He knew Dok Mi would be happy she took one. So while Dok Mi showered, Enrique made another pot of tea, this time one he could add loads of milk to, and sat on the couch with one of her books.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

She must have stood in the bathroom a full ten minutes before she finally did anything. It felt… weird to be naked in another man's apartment, but she would be lying if she said she hadn't been dying to take a shower since the moment she had stepped into the cold.

Dok Mi turned on the water and waited for it to heat up. She shouldn't have stayed, but now she felt too tired to go home. It must be nearly 4 by now. But she promised herself that she would leave at sunup. Could she really work all of tomorrow with only 2-3 hours of sleep? Probably not, but it was better than staying here any longer than she had to.

The hot water felt like heaven as it cascaded over her body. The past week had been so stressful… she rarely allowed herself the luxury of the long, hot showers at home, but here she could just stand there for as long as she wanted and let the water rinse her problems away.

But that would be rude to Enrique, who was just sitting out there waiting for her to finish. She turned off the water much sooner than she'd wanted. She dried off as quickly as she could and walked out into the bedroom. Enrique had left her a large t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants. She changed quickly and went back to the kitchen.

"Enrique, I'm-" she said. He was asleep on the couch. She looked at the clock on the wall; she had taken much longer in the shower than she thought she had. It was almost 4:30 now; anyone would be asleep at this time. Especially someone like him, who lived his life so energetically. She felt guilty for waking him at 2 in the morning. Her books could have waited until morning.

She saw a blanket lying next to him. She walked over and picked it up. It probably wouldn't be comfortable for him to sleep on the couch, but she could at least make him a little warmer. When she walked over to him, she noticed a book on his chest. _Pride and Prejudice_, it was one of her books. This guy. He steals from her and makes her sleep over then reads the books he stole. How would she ever make any sense out of Enrique Geum?

_He means nothing to you, _she said. This time, she knew he was lying. It had been nearly a week since her accident and he had never lost faith in her remembering. She somehow felt like she had let him down. She put the blanket over him and carefully pulled it over his shoulders.

"I'm sorry" she said quietly, "I'm trying"

Her hand moved to his hair on its own. He looked so peaceful sleeping, almost like a child. She ran her fingers through his bangs and hummed quietly. It was a song she never remembered learning, but the lyrics flowed through her mind like she'd known it her whole life. Dok Mi's hand froze as Enrique stirred in his sleep.

"Ahjumma" he muttered, still somewhere far away from her.

Dok Mi returned to running her hand through his hair. Was it her imagination, or did he feel a little hot. Like he had a fever? Sleeping on his cold hard couch couldn't be good for him. What if he got sick? She laid her palm flat against his forehead. He definitely felt warm.

"Enrique" she said. She wanted him to go and sleep in his own bed while she took the couch. But he was already too deeply asleep to be woken.

Before she could think better or it, she kissed his forehead gently.

"Goodnight, Enrique" she whispered as she squeezed his hand


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Of course he had been awake. How could he have remained asleep while she was touching him like that? He had been dozing off in the beginning, but when she put the blanket over him, he couldn't bring himself to open his eyes for fear it was all a dream. Hadn't he just been thinking about how much he wished she would do that again? He was afraid he would open his eyes and she'd be gone. He thought it was better to let himself be happy and ignorant for just this night.

Then she started singing. He had never heard her sing before, not even during the karaoke for his going away party. But it was the most beautiful sound he'd ever heard. Especially since… she was singing the song that he'd sung to her on the beach more than a year ago.

She was remembering. And maybe right now, she didn't remember everything, like how that song connected to him, but she would. He had no doubt that she would. But for right now, he just pretended to be asleep while she sang and ran her fingers through his hair. He had thought he could not be happier, and then she kissed him. It was a small peck on the forehead, but it was more affection than he had gotten from her in days. He honestly felt so happy he thought he could die. Which would make it even worse if he actually was dreaming all of this.

She was gone far too soon. It was nearly morning and she must be exhausted. Of course she would go to bed. What had he expected her to do? Sleep on the floor next to him? As it was, she would only be getting in at most two hours of sleep before daybreak. Enrique had to stop her from waking up at dawn. It was the least he could do to ensure she got as much sleep as possible.

For that, he needed to wake up at dawn himself, which was something he wasn't looking forward to. He pulled out his phone and set an alarm for 6:30. He turned the volume up enough that he would hear it, but Dok Mi shouldn't be able to.

He lay back down on the couch and pulled the blanket closer around him. He imagined that Dok Mi was still next to him. He could almost feel her fingers massaging his scalp. It wasn't long before he had drifted back off to sleep with the image of Go Dok Mi caring for him.

It seemed like only a moment after that his alarm went off. Enrique tried to open his eyes, but they felt heavy and painful. His throat was scratchy and he could barely breathe. On top of that, his head was pounding. He was obviously sick, but how sick? Was he dying? Generally, Enrique knew his own body well. He could normally tell when he was going to get sick. But this had taken him completely off guard. It must have been all the time he spent outside in the snow this past week. He had never even bothered to put on a jacket all the times he went to Dok Mi's house. He'd brought this all on himself, now he just hoped he wouldn't get Ahjumma sick.

He needed to get off the couch, but he couldn't move his legs. He was so tired and sore. Enrique wasn't sure how long he was on that couch, but it felt like an eternity. He was so cold. He felt chills racking his entire body.

"Enrique" a voice said. It pulled him briefly back into reality. Dok Mi had a way of doing that to him. He could feel her cool hands on his skin.

"Ahjumma" he murmured. Maybe she wasn't really here. He'd hallucinated her before, like the day he was hit by the car. He swore he saw her, but she wasn't there. Maybe this time, like last time, he was just wishing for her to be there, "Maybe I've fallen in love" he said to himself echoing what he said in the past.

"You're burning up" she said. He could here concern in her voice. Was he really that hot? He felt freezing, "Open your eyes, Enrique" she said.

Enrique tried, but his eyelids were just too heavy, "I'm sorry," he said.

He felt her hands gripping both sides of his face, "I don't know what to do" she said. Was she crying? She sounded like she was.

"Stay with me" he said. He probably needed so many other things. Medicine, a hospital. But all he wanted was for her to stay here with him, touching his face, crying for him. He was so selfish.

"Stay with me, Ahjumma" he said as he felt himself slipping back into unconsciousness, "Please"


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

She was barely processing anything he was saying. She needed to get him to a hospital, but she wasn't strong enough to carry him. She couldn't stop touching his head. His skin was boiling to the touch, but he was shaking as if he was freezing. Why hadn't he come to get her sooner? She could have driven him to a doctor at least. She put her hands on his face. Maybe if she hoped enough, he would just get better.

"I don't know what to do" she said as tears streamed down her face. _Tell me what to do. _She thought.

"Stay with me" he said. His voice was barely above a whisper. "Stay with me, Ahjumma. Please"

"I would never leave you," she said, but he had already fallen back asleep. _Not in this condition, _she added as an afterthought. She stayed there, kneeling on the ground with his face in her hands. _What do I do when I'm sick? _She thought. Dok Mi normally made herself tea, but her tastes weren't the same as his. Soup maybe? Food could probably wait; she needed to get his temperature down first. She didn't know where a thermometer was here, but his forehead was burning up. His temperature couldn't be dangerously high, could it?

She went to the fridge and found an ice pack, "This might be too cold" she told Enrique. She wasn't even sure if he could hear her, "But you need it"

She pressed the compress gently against his forehead. It made him shiver more, but he felt a little cooler. Her arm began to ache, but she needed to hold the ice pack against his head. Enrique stirred in his sleep

"Dok Mi" he said.

Dok Mi kneeled up higher so she could see his face, "Enrique?"

"You're still here?" he asked. His eyes were still closed, but he seemed more coherent than earlier.

"You asked me to stay"

"You shouldn't have" he said, "You might get sick"

"I'll be alright" she said as she brushed a bead of sweat off of his brow

"Is there anything you need?" she asked. She was so relieved that he was awake enough to tell her what to do.

"Some water" he said. Now that he mentioned it, his voice sounded really hoarse. He must have had trouble breathing all night, "and some aspirin"

"Does your head hurt?" she asked.

He nodded, "so much"

"I'll be right back," she said as quietly as she could. She returned a few minutes later with what he asked for, rummaging through his medicine cabinets, she managed to find a thermometer.

"I'm going to take your temperature again," she said as she pushed the thermometer between his lips. She looked at him until it beeped. 100. It was too high; she needed to find some way to lower it.

"Oh, Enrique" she said, she pressed the glass of water to his lips, "drink this" she said. He drank the water greedily, as if he hadn't had any in days. Within seconds, the entire glass was gone.

"Thank you, Ahjumma" he said. He sounded exhausted. He probably just wanted to go back to sleep. But what would she do about the fever? The cold compress hadn't worked? She looked at the blankets sitting on his chair. Maybe…

"You're cold right?" Dok Mi asked. Enrique nodded, "Then at least this won't be that unpleasant for you."

Dok Mi stood up and gathered all the blankets she could find in the house. She took everything from the closets to what he had on his bed. It was almost noon and the sun was shining through the windows. _I guess I won't be working today, _she thought and she wrapped Enrique up in the blankets as best as she could. It didn't matter that she wasn't at home. She didn't have any pressing deadlines this week and she was still exhausted from last night. Besides… Enrique needed her right now.

Enrique looked almost laughably ridiculous swaddled in the 5 or 6 blankets Dok Mi found. She probably would have found the sight hilarious if she hadn't been so worried about him. She wasn't sure what to do now but wait. What she really wanted to do was go back to sleep, but what if he woke up and needed her? No, she needed to stay awake and make sure he was cared for. She could turn on the TV, but that might disturb him. She did have a lot of her books here… she walked over to the table and picked up the first one the stack. The title looked odd and exotic, not something she normally read. Was it something from work? Maybe a gift? No, there wasn't anyone to give her a gift.

She didn't want to think about things like that. Instead, she leaned back against the couch and read.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

He didn't even remember falling asleep. One moment, Dok Mi was taking his temperature, the next he felt like he was suffocating. A few moments ago, he had been freezing, but now he felt like he was in the hottest pit of hell. He knew he had a high temperature from Dok Mi's concern, but it couldn't be this high. If his body temperature was to the degree he felt, he would probably be dead. And god almighty, he was thirsty. Was Dok Mi still here? Probably not. She had most likely left hours ago to get back to work.

Why couldn't he move though? His eyelids still felt so heavy, but he forced himself to open his eyes. Why were there so many blankets on him? Had he really been cold enough that he went back to his bedroom and got his quilt? He wiggled around a bit, trying to set himself free. If anything, he was making the blankets tighter. At least he had the energy to try and get himself out. He wiggled some more. He could feel the blankets loosening slightly. Almost… nearly there…so- He fell off the couch onto the floor.

He was so stunned for a moment that he didn't realize he wasn't actually on the floor, but on a person.

"Ahjumma" he said. He was still trapped enough in the blankets that he couldn't make a move to get off of her; she was just staring up at him. Her face was blank, no emotion to be seen. Last time he fell on her like this… no, now was not the time to think about kissing her. Not when her lips were mere inches away from him. They looked so warm and inviting, like he imagined a glass of water would look to a man dying of thirst. Dok Mi's lips were probably the softest things he had ever touched. Every time they kissed, it was like he was laying his head on a down pillow after a long day.

Without realizing it, Enrique leaned forward so his lips were almost touching hers. She smelled so good… like vanilla. He remembered the perfume she was wearing; she wore it the day he left for Spain. It was his favorite, she knew. It was the scent that surrounded him the day he was hit by the car. All the blood and gravel around him, and he smelled only her. Dok Mi. His Ahjumma. A few more centimeters, and…

"What're you doing?" she said suddenly, snapping Enrique out of his thoughts. He pulled his mouth away from hers; it was almost painful for him to have been so close to touching her again only to be pulled away.

"Sorry" he said, "I fell"

"I noticed" she replied. Enrique couldn't help but laugh. Even though his heart hurt, she was still here. And she'd stayed here all night and most of the day. He felt so much better knowing that she hadn't left. He very ungracefully rolled off of her. They both just stayed there for a moment, staring at the ceiling, laying parallel to each other. They weren't touching, but they felt close.

"Ahjumma" he said, "Why am I wearing 6 blankets?"

She laughed, a beautiful melodic sound, "You don't remember?" she said, "I was trying to sweat the fever out."

She rolled over onto her side and pressed her palm against his forehead. The sudden contact nearly made his heart stop, "And it seems like it worked. Are you feeling any better?"

"A lot better" he said, "It must be because I had such a good nurse" in truth, he still felt pretty bad. His fever might be gone and he was able to breathe, but he still had a splitting head ache and his nose was all stuffed up

"You're lying to me" she said. _She's still touching me, _he realized with a jolt. She had moved her hand from his forehead, but she was instead now cupping his cheek, like she had so many times before when she was going to kiss him. Why was he thinking about kissing so much today? Maybe it was the memory of her lips on his forehead earlier. The chaste peck had left him wanting more, but he knew he wouldn't get it. It wouldn't be fair to kiss her right now and he knew she would never kiss him first. _But she is touching you_.

"My head" he admitted, "My head still hurts"

"Do you want some tea?" she asked, "That's what I normally do when I have a headache"

"Yes please," he said, "But can you help me with the blankets first?"

"Oh," she said, "Of course"

She had to take her hand off of his face. The lack of contact made Enrique rather sad. She carefully unwrapped him and set the blankets aside.

"You should go back to your bed while I make the tea" she said, "You'll be more comfortable"

"No" Enrique said quickly. He didn't want to miss out on a single moment with her. He was surprised she had stayed so long, but he wasn't going to waste the opportunity.

"Really, Enrique" she scolded, "You need to rest"

"I wanna be with you," he whined.

"I'm going to go soon, actually" she said as she pulled the kettle out, "You need to be able to sleep in peace."

"I slept fine with you here"

"No you didn't. You were muttering and flailing around. I was worried you'd fall and hurt yourself"

"But instead I fell and hurt you," Enrique finished. "What were you doing on the floor anyways?"

Dok Mi stopped moving around in the kitchen. Was it his imagination, or was she blushing. She quickly turned her face and returned to the tea, "Sleeping actually" she said quietly

"You slept on the floor?" Enrique asked

"For a few hours" she admitted

"Why?" he asked.

"I took all the covers off the bed for you," she said, "And… I was worried"

"You were worried about me?"

"Your fever was really high, Enrique. Anyone would've been worried"

"No they wouldn't have." He said mostly to himself, "But you're not worried anymore?"

"Your temperature seems normal" she shrugged, "and a headache is unpleasant, but not exactly life threatening."

"You're going to leave me," he said. He didn't want to sound as pathetic as he felt. He thought she'd started to care for him again, but it had just been pity for his condition. He suddenly thought back to just before he'd left for the first time. _I don't want your sympathy, _she'd say. Enrique hadn't known what she meant at the time, but he understood now. He loved her with all his heart, but what if she just felt sorry for him? He had never pitied her once in their relationship, but what if she was doing it now?

"I'll be right across the street, Enrique" she said, "You can always…" her sentence broke off. What was she going to say? Enrique desperately wanted to know, but he couldn't push her. Instead, they sat in a comfortable silence while Dok Mi put the kettle on the stove.

"Enrique" she said as she sat across from him at the table, "Can I ask you something?"

"Anything" he answered immediately.

She looked suddenly uncomfortable. Had Enrique done something to make her like this? He had fallen on her, but she seemed alright.

"I had a dream last night" she began, "I've been having it for a few days. At first, it was really vague and blurry, but it's been coming into focus more and more each night. I have no idea where it's from, but I'm pretty sure it's a memory from before my accident..."

"What is it?" Enrique asked.

"I was just…" Dok Mi mumbled.

"What did you dream?"

"I was just wondering," she said, he face turned down to the floor, "If the beach means anything to us"

A.N. I know it's been a few days, but I've been really busy with school and other stories. I hope I can update more frequently, but it's getting hard to find time to write. Anyways, I ended up really liking this chapter. It's probably my favorite so far. Tell me what you think!


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

She shouldn't have said anything. She should have just kept quiet and dealt with things by herself like she always did. It stopped her from getting hurt and it stopped her from hurting the people around her. And she could tell her question had hurt Enrique, just as she knew it would. She shouldn't have asked him, but she needed to know. She needed him to tell her if this was just a dream, or something she had forgotten. His face told her everything now. This wasn't an ordinary dream. She had already known that in her heart, but she needed him to confirm it.

She still couldn't decide if his answer had been the one she wanted or not. If it was a memory, it meant she was beginning to remember her old life. She also hadn't decided if that was a good thing. There was no use denying that she had started to like Enrique, just as he claimed she used to. But… if she had really been in love with him before, how could she ever have forgotten him. How could she have ever let this boy get away from her?

He was unlike anyone she'd ever met. He was annoying and obnoxious, just the kind of boy she always hated. But he was also kind and caring, and loyal and willing to do anything for someone he loved. How could she have forgotten him for even one moment? In her mind, she believed that even if she remembered everything, she didn't deserve him anymore.

She should say something. _Tell me about the beach. Tell me you forgive me. Tell me you love me. Kiss me. I like you. _A million things went through her mind.

"I should go" she said instead. She got up quickly and scurried to the door.

"Wait," Enrique said as he jumped up after her, "Dok Mi" he said

She was turning the knob when his fingers gripped her wrist, "Wait"

She turned around and tried not to look in his eyes. If she looked at his face, she knew her resolve would crumble.

"Are you…" he said. He was trying in vain to keep the hope out of his voice, "Are you remembering?"

"I don't know" she said meekly, "Sometimes it feels like I am… like it's just out of my reach. But the moment I jump to grab it… it vanishes"

She wanted to scream. She wanted to cry. She wanted to do a million different things. But mostly, right now, she wanted Enrique to hold her. There was something about him that made it all go away. She wanted to feel unburdened, if only for a moment.

"Ahjumma" he said gently, "Look at me"

He put his fingers below her chin and tilted her head up. They were so close… closer than she could remember ever being with another person. She used to wonder how he had ever gotten past her walls, but now she knew. Looking into his eyes… she knew she had loved him. And that she probably would again if she wasn't careful. She needed to stay away.

"Okay" he said. He could read her mind, she had forgotten that.

"Okay?" she asked. He had been so persistent earlier, how could he give up now?

"Because I thought it was the right thing" he said. Was he crying? She hadn't thought someone as energetic and optimistic as him would ever be caught crying. But there were tears falling down his cheeks now, "I was wrong. I thought this Dok Mi was the same as the one I first met, but you're not. The Dok Mi I knew didn't want me at first. I had to fight my way in. I had to make her like me. You… you want to remember. But you can't with me here. I make things too confusing for you. I can see that now."

"Enrique…" Dok Mi said. She was nearly pressed against him already, but she wanted to be closer.

"But don't think this is me giving up," he said, "I can still hear your voice in my head, every time I'm with you. As long as that voice is there, I will never give up on you."

His voice was breaking, just like her heart. There was truth in his words, but she didn't want him to stay away from her. She wanted to be closer. To spend more time together. She needed him. Before she could stop herself, her arms were around him. She held on so tight, as if she would float away if she just let go.

His arms wrapped around her, in a perfect gently contrast to her tight grip.

"I asked you once to wait for me," Enrique said, "Now it's my turn to wait on you"

He carefully unwrapped her arms from around his waist and opened the door for her. With tears streaming down her face, she walked out of the apartment, fighting to urge to run back.

A.N. it's been a few days, hasn't it. Rest assured, I will not abandon this fic. I'll try and regulate updates more to pace myself. I really like this chapter, tell me what you think


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